Halfling
by Kammie Celeek
Summary: Five (almost six) year old Sarai has lived with her parents near the Storm Spire her entire life. But when her parents are taken by rogue elves and a dark mage, she runs to get help and stumbles across the border to Katolis, where she begins to connect with family she never knew she had and family that isn't willing to let her or her parents go again.
1. Different

**Was going to be a big multi-chapter adventure but I don't have the talent or patience to do that. So instead you get a few chapters. But that's better than nothing!**

* * *

Sarai was young but she wasn't stupid.

She knew she was different from others in Xadia. While her interactions with other elves were limited the few she'd had were less than ideal. Many regarded her as some kind of plague or outcast and walked away quickly. Her differences were in the way they looked at her and in the way they spoke. It was in her difficulties with magic that no elf should struggle with. It was in her fear of combat and confrontation. But most of all, it was in her hands.

Elves, she knew, had four fingers.

Sarai had five.

Her father was human and her mother was an elf. It was why she was unusual. Elves and humans hated each other but her parents had fallen in love despite the bad blood. And Sarai's admiration for them was never-ending, just like their determination and spirit.

Rayla, a Moonshadow elf assassin who had once been asked to kill a king and a prince. Instead she'd found her future husband and they'd gone on a journey to end a war that should've never even started. Strong, beautiful, hilarious, and a great warrior, Rayla was what Sarai wished she could be. A fighter, somebody who wasn't afraid of battle or death. Furiously protective of what she cared about, which these days was her husband and her daughter. Sometimes Sarai even wondered how she was her mother's daughter, what with how different they were. But then she'd see her horns reflected back at her and the answer was there, among the locks of long dark hair she'd gotten from her father.

Callum, a human and former prince who had protected his younger brother from Rayla on that fateful raid. He had traveled with her to bring Zym back to the Dragon Queen and end that war. Compared to his wife, he was more scholarly and bookish with an honest face and an aptitude for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. And Sarai took after him in that regard, as well as with her extra fingers and the fact that Moonshadow magic wasn't exactly for her. He was kind and caring and she knew that both he and her mother loved her more than themselves. The only times she ever saw him get angry were when someone threatened her or Rayla.

Their family was small but had plenty of love to go around. On Rayla's side, her parents were gone—not dead but not with her—and there were no other relatives she knew of. Callum's father was unknown to him and he'd lost his mother and stepfather years before Sarai was born. He had a half-brother, but Sarai had never met the man before. Something had happened and they weren't able to enter the human kingdoms safely anymore. It had been the cause of several arguments when Sarai was younger, where Rayla insisted she could protect them and Callum wanted his daughter to live to adulthood. Eventually they'd settled on the border near the Storm Spire, where King Zym (Sarai refused to call him anything else) assured their safety from the elves but not the humans.

Now, however, things were very wrong.

Things were so wrong that Sarai didn't know how she'd ever help set them right.

Her parents had been captured by a team of rouge elves and a human—a human woman whose hair was almost completely white, save for a few locks of black on the righthand side. Callum and Rayla had been shocked and horrified to see her. Not the elves, but this odd-looking human woman who used _dark magic_. They hadn't gone easy, mind you. Rayla had fought while Callum tried to help her, but she yelled for him to take Sarai and run, to let her handle the battle while he saved their child. He'd obeyed, only for the human woman to catch up and hold them in place with her evil power.

"Callum. It's been years," the woman said breathily.

"It seems magic hasn't been kind to you, _Claudia_," he spat. She narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you angry?"

"You attacked my family and you didn't think I'd be angry?!"

Sarai bit her lip as she listened to her father. Hearing him speak with such venom and anger and scorn, a tone that her mother usually reserved for herself, was disconcerting to say the least. He was usually joking or giving her advice or even helping her with magic and drawing. Anger was a rare emotion and she was afraid of this woman who could draw it out of him.

"Please, it wasn't my idea. I wanted to just take you and draw your bloodthirsty lover out so we could take your child, too. The elves had other plans. Now, what to do…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Sarai saw her father's fingers moving in a familiar shape—a rune. He was trying to free them. She could already feel the binding spell weakening around her and before Claudia could finish her mutterings Sarai was free. Claudia had yet to notice but the binding was still tight around Callum. Worriedly, he looked to his daughter, who remained by him.

"Sarai, go find help. She's not as interested in you so you can slip away."

"But Papa—"

"Please. I can buy you some time but it's limited. Go now and run."

Running. It was the one physical activity she was good at. Sarai nodded and leapt to her feet. Before Claudia could even figure out what had happened, the halfling was gone and well out of her reach. She let out a growl and turned her attention to Callum, who glared at her defiantly… then she dragged him back to where his wife was lying on the ground, heavily bruised and injured but alive, surrounded by the elves who had brutally beaten her.

"Rayla!" Callum gasped, desperately trying to reach her.

"She's not dead yet," snorted Claudia. "But she may be, soon."

"Touch her and _you're_ dead!"

"Where was this fire when we were younger? Or is it just because your elven mistress is lying on the ground and your hell-spawn is off who-knows-where?"

"Sarai is—"

"And you even named her after your mother. Hmph. Well, we have somewhere to be, don't we?"

The last thing that registered in Callum's mind was a spell.

Then darkness.

* * *

It had started as a rumor in the street earlier that week.

_An elf is in Katolis—a Moonshadow elf!_

Those rumors were never something that Soren took seriously. People made mistakes like that all the time and it was kind of dumb when you thought about it too much. No, the rumors worried him when they switched to _they're looking for help_. Only one Moonshadow elf had connections in Katolis and it had been many years since he'd seen her. And the fact that she didn't go to the castle, knowing Ezran would gladly help her, worried him most of all. So he posted guards in the streets to find the elf and bring her to the palace.

But it wasn't Rayla deposited at his feet.

"Who are you?" he asked. She looked up at him with wide green eyes.

"Who are you?" she echoed, her voice denoting her youth. She couldn't have been older than six.

"I am Soren, the head of the Crown Guard."

"M-my name is Sarai. I was told to go get help."

"Help?" She nodded.

"I need to save Mama and Papa. S-some…" Her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell to the ground. He realized after kneeling beside her that she was starving and tired and nothing that an eight-year-old girl should be.

"Make sure she gets food and rest. We'll continue this when she's feeling better."

His orders were followed. And out of custom, he informed Ezran of their guest. The young king insisted upon seeing the girl, and as soon as he did he backed away in shock.

"Why is she here?"

"To get help for her parents or something." Ezran reached out and touched one of the girl's horns.

"Do you know her name?"

"Sarai."

A shaky breath was inhaled by the king of Katolis.

"I… I think… I know who her parents are."

"Who?"

(Really, Soren had not gotten any sharper.)

"Rayla and… Callum. No doubt about it—everything about her is just like them."

"Huh. Weird. I didn't know they had a baby."

"We haven't talked to them since they were forced to cut contact eight years ago. I can't figure out why their daughter would be here unless something bad happened."

Sarai let out a groan as she came to and Ezran smiled.

"Hey, feeling better?" he asked.

"I… I don't know…"

"Your name is Sarai, right? I'm Ezran."

"You're Ezran?" Sarai's eyes widened.

"I'm guessing you've heard of me?"

"Papa talked about you a lot. So did Zym. You can talk to animals, right?"

"Yes, I can. How old are you, Sarai?"

"Five. Almost six."

"And your father's name wouldn't happen to be Callum, would it?"

"Yeah… and my mama is Rayla. Papa told me to come to Katolis to get help. He and Mama were taken away by bad elves and a mean lady named Claudia who wanted to hurt me and Mama."

"Well, then, you've found your help. We are family."

In truth, however, the news that Claudia had resurfaced troubled both king and guard. Soren was glad to hear his sister was alive but furious to learn she'd tried to harm a child…again. Ezran was bothered by the fact that Claudia had apparently overpowered both mage and warrior, though the fact that elves were helping her made sense. None of them wanted the uneasy peace that had settled over the human kingdoms and Xadia over the past decade and a half. It made sense that they'd go after the human-elf couple and their halfling child. But at the same time, they'd made the mistake of going after his family, the only family he had left other than his aunt Amaya. Sarai was his niece and he'd protect her.

"Soren, send word to Aunt Amaya and the Storm Spire. We're going after Claudia." His eyes turned to Sarai. "In the meantime, let's get you rested and fed. And some new clothes."

Sarai looked down. Her knee-length blue dress was tattered and filthy, its hue dulled by the muck and mud. Her eyebrows knit together and she smiled up at her uncle.

"Thank you, Uncle Ezran."

"What else is family for?"

* * *

Word had spread that she was in the castle over the past several days. Sarai noted the stares and whispers as she walked through the hall in the clothes that Ezran had said once belonged to her father. Her long hair had been braided to keep it out of her face for the time being, horns still up and standing proud and denoting her elven heritage alongside the blue markings she'd inherited from her mother. To so many she appeared the enemy, despite the years of tentative peace between the human kingdoms and Xadia her family had led. War had once been the way of life for both places, for both races, but now that was over.

"You okay, Sarai?" Ezran asked as she entered the dining room.

"It's weird, being around so many people."

"How so?"

"For as long as I can remember, it's just been me, Mama, and Papa in our little cottage by the Storm Spire. Zym babysits me a lot when they had to go do things because he likes me. Mama said it was because they did the same for him when he was a baby."

"I remember. I helped them take care of Zym when he was newly hatched." She sat down next to him. Opeli looked slightly unnerved at the breach of protocol but said nothing.

"I miss them…"

"Me, too. I haven't seen them since before you were born."

"Mama was fighting the bad elves, and Papa told me to run away and get help in Katolis while he faced Claudia. I'm fast."

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, then, we'll have to have a race once this is over. And you and your parents will have to come visit."

Sarai nodded in agreement and began to eat some of the food that had been set out. Ezran noted the way she ate was so much like Callum; no doubt his older brother had instilled manners into his daughter in case she ever came to Katolis. But the way she held the knife and the markings under her eyes—it was pure Rayla. His heart ached to know just what Claudia had done with his brother and sister-in-law. Sarai was the last thing he had left of them at the moment (save for a couple of portraits done before they were forced to leave). Already he was growing attached to her.

"When are we leaving?" she asked. "I wanna know so I can pack."

"Sarai…"

"You don't want me to go?"

"No, you're coming. It's just… we need to figure this out. I don't want you near the battlefield when you're so young, especially not if we're going against Claudia. She's a dark mage."

"I understand. That's why we live near the Storm Spire. Zym protects us better and Papa didn't want me to see how ugly fighting is."

_That sounds like Callum._

"We're leaving tomorrow morning. You'll have to guide us to your home and we'll start looking from there."

Sarai nodded and went back to eating.

* * *

"Ezran."

The young king sighed as Soren approached him in the throne room.

"Soren, we're doing this. It's Callum and Rayla."

"That's not my concern. My concern is you going along."

"Why?"

"If… if something happens to you, you have no heir. Who's going to rule the kingdom if you don't come back?"

"Oh, that's easy. Sarai will." Soren blinked. "Look, she's Callum's daughter. That means in terms of succession, she's after him."

"But Sarai is coming with us."

"And she'll be staying with someone at the Storm Spire. I'm not risking her life, but I'm willing to risk mine."

"…you're just like Harrow, you know. He was the same way." Ezran faced his old friend. "Viren offered him a way out, the night the assassins came. A snake that could put his soul in another body. But he refused, saying he'd rather die a king than a coward who let another die in his place."

"Then that's what I believe, too."

"I'll prepare to head out. Should I alert Amaya?" Ezran nodded.

"Send a message to her and Janai. They can meet us on the Xadian side of the border and guide us the rest of the way."

Soren nodded. Ezran eventually left the room and wandered until he passed his niece's room. He could hear her sniffling. Out of concern, he entered her room and found her curled up with one of Callum's old stuffed animals; no doubt Opeli had given it to her.

(She may have appeared reserved, but she had a soft spot for children.)

"Sarai?"

"Uncle Ezran?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"You're upset, aren't you?"

"I… I just want Mama and Papa…" Ezran pulled her into a hug.

"It's going to be okay. We'll find them and we'll make sure they're safe."

"But elves are mean. They talk about me and Mama all the time. They say Mama is a traitor to Xadia and that I'm an… a-bomb…a-bomb-in-ation?"

"Abomination. And it's not a good word, especially if they're using it to talk about someone."

"What does it mean?"

"It means… unnatural. Bad. Like something never should have happened. You're not an abomination, Sarai. You're a little girl with two loving parents and a family who cares about you. There's nothing more natural or good than that."

She smiled up at him and that smile was pure Rayla, especially the way her eyes crinkled when she did it. He held her tighter for a moment, then sighed.

"Tomorrow, we're leaving for Xadia. And I promise you we will bring our family back together, no matter what."

Ezran stayed with her until she fell asleep, tucking the stuffed dragon under her arm before he left.

_I promise, Sarai._

* * *

**SURPRISE**

** MY FIRST STORY FOR TDP!**

** I'm surprised it took me this long to write one, but I did it! And I promise I'll update it.**

** I will say that I have an alternate version involving Ethari and Runaan, but that one proved more difficult to write and I had to scrap it. They'll be coming in later to help with the search.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. Nightmare

The sound of dripping water was all that was keeping him sane.

Callum counted it in eights, using it to keep his mind from wandering to his imprisoned wife and missing child. Granted, he was imprisoned, too, but Claudia wasn't torturing him—nowhere nearly as badly as the elves were treating Rayla. He gripped his chains in fury at the sound of her screaming in pain. Rayla's training as an assassin and her upbringing among the Moonshadow elves had taught her not to show pain. The last time he'd heard her scream like that had been when she was laboring to bring their precious Sarai into the world almost six years prior.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight._

Solitude made up most of his existence in this underground dungeon. Claudia was the only person he ever saw and she was less than welcome. His former friend brought him food, trying in vain to get him to abandon Rayla and join her and her father. There was no way he'd do that, though; dark magic was vile and twisted and evil. It had almost killed him the one time he'd done it. Even now he hated the fact that he'd been driven to that extreme in his efforts to protect the love of his life. And when she wasn't trying to turn him against his wife, she was attempting to get Sarai's location out of him.

"Please, Callum. If you tell me where she is, I'll bring her here and she can live in your cell while we figure things out."

"I'm not letting you touch my daughter."

"But…"

"Sarai is pure and good and shouldn't be forced to deal with the likes of you. And if I can do anything to keep her out of you and your father's hands, I'll do it. Even if it means I have to die."

"She's not natural, Callum! She's a halfling—a disgusting cross between a human and an elf!"

"Then why bother trying to find her?" Callum fixed Claudia with a murderous gaze he'd picked up from Rayla over the years. "Leave me alone."

Claudia bit her lip.

"Because… because she's important to you. And I care about you, Callum. Why do you think I didn't kill you and I'm not letting the elves near you?"

"The feeling isn't mutual. Go away, Claudia."

"Fine. But I'll be back."

Rayla's screams reached his ears again and he covered them, fighting back tears. He was powerless, really and truly powerless against Claudia and her little elven army. The shackles that bound him kept him from using magic, though they did give him more mobility than ones he'd seen back in Katolis when he was a child. Callum had no way to escape, no way to find Sarai even if he could use his power. Part of him hoped she'd gone to the Storm Spire, but something told the mage his daughter had run as far and as fast as she could. If she'd gone to Zym, the elves would've found her already. No, Sarai had left the area entirely and he hoped that she was safe and healthy, wherever she was.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight._

"Here."

He looked up as Claudia shoved a box through the door meant for his meals.

"You must be bored in here. And you draw when you're upset, right?"

Inside the box was his sketchbook and charcoal pencils. He fixed her with a look of suspicion.

"Prison is boring. And I have no intention of releasing you, so…" She smiled sheepishly. "No thank you's are necessary. Your drawings will be thanks enough."

Callum waited until she'd gone, then he grabbed the sketchbook. Furiously he began to draw, first Rayla and then his daughter as he last remembered them before all this happened—a mother and child holding hands as they returned home from the market. God, he wanted those days back, but it had been a month since he was imprisoned. His chances of seeing Sarai or even Rayla again were slim.

He snapped it shut and buried his face in his hands. The water still dripped, the staccato sound ringing through his cell in a consistent rhythm.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight._

* * *

All things considered, Sarai was a different kind of five-year-old.

Despite her young age, she'd crossed the border alone, traveling through hostile territory for a month (based on the fact she'd said it had been a new moon when they were attacked) by herself and made it to Katolis. Soren was impressed with her and even more impressed that Callum had managed to make such an amazing daughter. Though, he supposed most of it was Rayla's influence over the step-prince's. Even now Sarai sat on Ezran's horse, excitedly telling her uncle stories about her life in Xadia. Eventually, she got tired and Corvus ended up having her ride in the supply cart they'd brought along.

"Is it bad that I love her so much already?" Ezran asked Soren jokingly.

"Nope. She's family."

"Well, the good news is that we're making better time than I did on my first journey into Xadia."

"To be fair, on your first journey, you were on foot. Carrying a heavy dragon egg. Hiding from me and Claudia and pretty much everyone else. And you were ten." Ezran bit his lip.

"I also had Callum and Rayla. And Bait. Sarai did it alone and she's half the age I was. She must've been so scared."

"Don't forget that the last time she saw her dad he was being captured by Claudia. That probably didn't help."

"Soren, you're not helping."

"Sorry."

By nightfall, they stopped to make camp. Sarai insisted on sleeping near Ezran, a request her uncle was more than happy to comply with. Keeping up with a five-year-old, however, was more difficult than Soren had anticipated. Corvus had gone to scout and left Sarai to be cared for by Soren while he was gone and Ezran was trying to get a sense of the situation at hand from some local wildlife. Their party was small—just the three men and little Sarai—since Ezran had already had word sent to Amaya and Janai to meet them at the Storm Spire with warriors. Aanya would be joining them shortly, across the border.

"Sarai, can you slow down for a second?" Soren panted.

"But I've never been to Katolis before! I wanna see how different it is from Xadia!"

"Didn't you pass all this on your way?"

"Yeah, but I was by myself and it was scary." She pouted and Soren melted at her expression. Dammit, if he was having this much trouble saying no to her, then Callum must've been completely wrapped around his daughter's finger.

"Fine. We need some fish for dinner, anyway."

"When Papa catches fish at the pond, he uses Sky magic. Mama always yells at him not to but he does it anyway. He said he'll teach me one day when I'm bigger."

"And we'll make sure that happens. For now, let me show you the way _I_ catch fish." He grabbed the net and pole out of his supplies and took Sarai's hand as he led her down to the riverbank. There, he dug into the dirt until he found what he was looking for—bait for the fish. Sarai squeaked as he placed the bug on his hook and cast the line into the water. Her eyes traced the crystal-clear liquid, trying to see where the fish were so she could help Soren the way she helped her mother when it was Rayla's turn to catch their dinner.

"How long does this take?" she asked.

"It can take a while. Thankfully, we don't need a lot for four people. You don't eat much, I bet."

"Nope. Mama says that's good and bad. Good because it will make traveling easier and bad because I have a lot of growing to do."

"That sounds like her." She was quiet, watching the water with emerald-green eyes.

Then the line went taut and Soren began to pull in his catch. Sarai grabbed the net, allowing him to deposit the trout into it. They caught two more before Soren decided it was time to head back.

"Soren?"

"Yes?"

"…you knew Mama and Papa, right?"

"Oh, yeah, I did. Your mom almost killed me a couple times and your dad… well, the only thing he really has over me is magic."

"Papa said Mama tried to kill him when they first met and that she was the worst assassin he'd ever met. Then Mama threw a pillow at him and said he had to sleep downstairs instead of in their room."

"Why'd he say that?"

"Because he was joking. He told me when he was tucking me in that Mama was a better thief than an assassin 'cause she stole his heart. Then he brought her a bunch of moon lilies the next day and she forgave him."

_Smooth, step-prince. Seriously smooth._

"Your dad was right. I met Rayla when I was trying to find him and Ezran to bring them home."

"Did you become friends?!" Sarai looked excited and Soren sighed.

"Not at first. At first… I tried to kill her because I thought she'd kidnapped your dad and your uncle. But we became friends after we helped save Zym from… from a dark mage."

"Viren." He raised his eyebrows. "Mama told me."

"And what exactly did she tell you?"

"That he was a bad bad person and he tried to hurt her and Zym. And Papa said he almost lost her because of him."

"Yeah. He's a bad person. I know that better than anyone."

"How?"

"Um… he was around when I was growing up."

(Not a total lie. Lying to children was cowardly.)

"Oh. Did you know that Claudia lady, too?'

"Would you look at that? We're back and so's your uncle! Go say hi while I clean these fish!"

Ezran looked up in confusion but shrugged as Sarai ran over and started babbling away to him about how fishing had gone. Soren was grateful to Ezran's far more patient nature, which would undoubtedly help them quite a bit in the long journey to come. Corvus returned from his scouting to report that all was well and they should reach the Moon Nexus within another day or so of travel. After dinner and telling a few stories of his journey to return Zym to his mother, Ezran found himself tucking his niece into her sleeping bag.

"You ever think about how weird it is that Callum and Rayla had a kid?" Soren asked as the king came back out and sat by the fire.

"It's a little bit of a bizarre feeling, but it was bound to happen eventually."

"Well, I don't think anybody's going to let things go back to normal after this is over. Especially not you."

"Right." Ezran nodded. "We can worry about that later. For now, we have to find Callum and Rayla. Sarai needs them."

"Actually, this feels… familiar. Like we've been here before."

Ezran rolled his eyes and laughed.

* * *

_"Whatcha drawing, Papa?"_

_ Callum smiled as his daughter peeked over his shoulder. She looked down to see a sketch of her mother wielding her blades, clearly in the middle of a battle. Sarai's eyes shone with pride and excitement._

_ "You draw Mama a lot."_

_ "Well, I love her a lot." Sarai clambered into his lap and he set the sketchbook aside._

_ "Did you miss us when we were at the market?"_

_ "Of course I did, Moonbug. I miss you whenever you're gone. And now that you're back…" He smirked in a way that told Sarai one thing._

_ "Papa, no!" Callum didn't listen and started to tickle her sides. Sarai shrieked with laughter and he swept her into a hug._

_ "Where's your mother, anyway?"_

_ "She said she's 'checking the pe-ri-meter', whatever that is."_

_ "Let's go find her then, shall we?"_

_ Callum set Sarai down and they headed out of the house. Rayla was standing in a clearing not far away, her eyes scanning the trees nearby for something._

_ "Rayla?"_

_ "Hush," she hissed. "Someone's here. Get back to the house."_

_ On instinct, Callum picked up Sarai and turned to run home, but his exit was blocked by elves—elves of varying race who were furiously glaring. From behind the family came more elves… and a human woman Rayla and Callum recognized all too well._

_ "Callum, take Sarai and __**go**__!" the former assassin begged as she took a swing at one of their foes. The elves concentrated on Rayla as Callum ran, carrying his precious daughter._

_ "What about Mama?!" she wailed._

_ "Mama wants us to be safe!" he choked out. "And that means we need to go!"_

_ Callum tripped over a tree root, flipping himself as he fell so he didn't crush Sarai. He got to his feet, only to find that he and Sarai were bound together with some kind of spell. Claudia came out of the shadows._

_ But that was where things became different._

_ Suddenly, he couldn't use his magic. Sarai was struggling to get free and crying and he wanted to hold her, to comfort her like he always did. He was knocked sideways by something that turned out to be one of Claudia's gang of elves._

_ "Aw, how precious," Claudia sneered. "The halfling can be useful to us."_

_ The bonds loosened around Sarai and the elf grabbed her. She let out a terrified scream that sent Callum into a panic. Before he could get up, Claudia firmly placed her boot on his chest as Rayla was dragged into the area. His beloved wife was bruised and bloody and beaten, but he could see her chest rising and falling as she struggled to breath through the pain._

_ "I need more magic to get back. You wouldn't mind if I took care of the brat, would you?" Claudia asked one of the elves._

_ "She's an abhorrent creation. Rid us of her."_

_ "NO!"_

Callum sat upright, panting heavily as he tried to slow his heartbeat.

_It was just a nightmare._

He needed to see his daughter. Even if it was just a picture of her, it would be something. In her five (almost six, as she was fond of reminding him) years of life, the longest he'd been apart from her was two days when he got stuck in a snowstorm and the fact that it had been a month (he could see the moon through the grate on his cell) was tearing his heart apart. His hands finally landed on his sketchbook and he opened it.

Immediately, his eyes landed on an image, the first done in this particular sketchbook.

He'd done it the day his daughter was born, shortly after Rayla had recovered from giving birth. His beautiful wife was holding their baby girl and smiling at him through the page.

_We'll get through this._

Rayla's words on that day, when he'd shown genuine worry over being a father, echoed in his head.

_But I can't if you're not here…_

* * *

"Had enough yet, traitor?"

Rayla spat blood at the feet of the elf who'd asked her, glaring at him with murder in her eyes. She might not have been an assassin anymore, but she could still kill if it came down to it. And this one had been trying her patience since the day she was imprisoned.

"I'm not tellin' ya daft bastards anything!" she growled.

"Then we'll just continue with what we're doing tomorrow. Give you another night to think it over."

Rayla sighed as she was finally allowed into her looser shackles—the ones that chained her to the wall but still let her move around and use her hands. The elves left her alone.

She wondered how Callum was doing.

Her husband had always had a big heart, a heart that had plenty of room for her and their daughter, and that was both his strength and his weakness. It was a weakness the elves were exploiting with the help of a rogue Moon mage who used illusions—ones almost as convincing up close as Lujanne's—to create a near-perfect copy of Rayla. This one they tortured viciously and violently to make her scream. Rayla had been confused until Claudia showed up to _kindly inform her_ that Callum was disturbed and panicked by the screams.

_They beat me because they want information._

_ They torture the illusion to hurt Callum._

Only once had the screams of pain come from her in their time down here, and that had been early in her imprisonment. An illusion of Sarai had been beaten to death in front of her and she'd screamed for them to stop, to let her innocent daughter go, to get away from Sarai. That had been before she found out that Callum—her wonderful, loving husband—had freed their daughter from Claudia's grasp and sent her to get help. Her heart ached to know where Sarai was, what help was coming, but she didn't dare think for a moment that the help she'd once relied on was coming.

_"Rayla."_

Her head snapped up at the voice. She looked up at the small grate that allowed her a bit of light and saw a face there. It was a face she knew, a face she trusted. Someone who could help her and Callum escape.

Runaan.

* * *

**Just gonna say it: I did not expect everyone to love this story.**

** But they do.**

** And Imma keep going.**

** Next time: Lujanne meets Sarai and Soren contemplates adoption.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	3. Memories

"Runaan? What are you—"

He put a finger to his lips.

_"Where's your husband?"_ he whispered.

_"Down the hall. I'm not sure how far."_

_ "And Sarai?"_

_ "I have no idea. Callum got her away from Claudia and sent her to get help."_

Obviously Sarai had not found Runaan.

_"Ethari is at your home. He offered to wait there while I searched."_

_ "Good luck gettin' me out. Grate's a little small for me to squeeze through nowadays."_

_ "I'll return. But I'll return with help to defeat the guard and break you both out."_

_ "Thank you, Runaan."_

He gave her a silent nod and she nodded back. Then he was gone and she was alone again.

It meant a lot that her relationship with Runaan had been repaired over the years. Ethari and Runaan were the only family members that they'd been able to keep contact with after the upheaval in Neolandia and Del Bar and Ethari had doted on Sarai from the moment he met her after she was born. Runaan did, too, although his visits were less frequent due to the fact that he didn't exactly _approve_ of her choice in a husband. It didn't bother Rayla or Callum; after all, Callum had been part of the reason that Rayla and Runaan's relationship had become strained in the first place when she'd chosen the dragon egg over her mission to kill Harrow and Ezran. In fact, it was mostly because of Sarai that her relationship with her foster father was better now.

_Knock knock._

_ "Are you expecting someone?" Rayla asked Callum. He looked up from the book of spells he'd been reading in confusion._

_ "No. You?"_

_ "Who'd visit me?"_

_ "Um… well-wishers for Sarai?"_

_ "Open the damn door, Callum. I'll get my blades."_

_ Callum obeyed his wife's command and opened the door to see two Moonshadow elves. He raised his eyebrows; Ethari had regularly been a visitor since they moved into their little home but Runaan avoided them at all costs._

_ "Ethari!" There was a clatter as Rayla dropped her weapons and ran for her foster parents. "Runaan!"_

_ The two males hugged her tightly as Callum relaxed._

_ "What brings you two by?" he asked._

_ "Ethari told me you two had a healthy baby girl. I would like to see her," Runaan replied._

_ "She's asleep right now," Rayla told them._

_ A cry came from upstairs and Callum was heading there before Rayla could open her mouth. Sometimes she swore that Callum was Sarai's mother instead of her; his parental instincts were so much stronger than hers when it came to their daughter. While they waited for him to come back, Rayla offered a seat to their visitors._

_ "You have a lovely home," Runaan commented._

_ "Oh, right. You haven't been by since we got married."_

_ "I still don't approve."_

_ "Neither do elves or humans. Only a select few do."_

_ "It's like I told her when she told me about that boy in the first place—as long as she's happy I don't mind."_

_ Callum came down the stairs with a bundle in his arms, smiling proudly as he sat beside Rayla and shifted it into her arms._

_ "Ethari, Runaan—I'd like you to meet Sarai."_

_ She could see Runaan's eyes light up as she passed the baby to him. Sarai wiggled a little, moving the blankets off her head to reveal tiny horns that made Ethari smile._

_ "She takes after you, Rayla," the tinker told the new mother._

_ "Five fingers, dark brown hair, and green eyes—definitely more after Callum than me."_

_ "The first halfling born in over a thousand years. She won't have it easy."_

_ "I'll be damned if anything happens to this wee one," Runaan spoke up suddenly._

_ Sarai babbled a little and reached with her tiny fingers for Runaan's horns. Rayla covered her mouth giggling as Runaan tried to hold her away._

_ "She has a fascination with mine, too. She grabs for them any chance she gets."_

_ "I remember you being the same way." Runaan's smile was the gentlest Rayla had seen in years._

_ "Will you two be staying for dinner?" Callum asked, standing up._

_ "If it's not too much trouble," Ethari responded._

_ "I'd better get started, then!"_

The visits had continued to the point where Runaan and Ethari popped in at least once every couple weeks. Sarai even referred to them (once she started talking; she had inherited her father's motor-mouth ways) as 'Grampy' and 'Grampa' respectively. The first time it had happened Runaan had been floored before sweeping up his granddaughter and laughing.

Her baby was out there somewhere.

All Rayla could do was hope she was safe.

* * *

Nobody was surprised when Lujanne doted on Sarai.

Somehow, this little girl was charming enough that anyone who'd been close in some way to her parents became fiercely protective of her. And when Ezran privately asked the Moon mage to accompany them to Xadia and take care of Sarai away from the fight, she was more than happy to oblige. Currently, Lujanne was showing Sarai examples of illusions that mystified the halfling every time.

"How's Ellis doing?" Soren asked Lujanne as Sarai chased illusion-birds.

"She's well. Ava, too. I just saw them the other day."

"That's good." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm, uh, going to go keep an eye on Sarai. Maybe build a zipline again, I dunno."

"Just make sure it's safer than last time!" called Ezran half-jokingly. Lujanne nodded and went to go make them some non-illusion food, since they had a young child with them and all.

Soren went over to where Sarai was surrounded by the illusion-birds just as they vanished. She pouted at their sudden disappearance but brightened as the crown guard approached.

"Uncle Soren!" she cheered, leaping to her feet. "Is Miss Lujanne coming with us to Xadia?"

"Yes, she is. And… 'Uncle' Soren?"

"Uh-huh! You're my uncle, too!" She smiled brightly. "It's 'cause you're family, just like Uncle Ezran!"

Okay, it was decided. Children were the _best_. If they didn't manage to find Callum and Rayla—on the extremely slim chance that the worst happened—Soren was going to adopt this girl as his daughter. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. For now, he'd settle for being her cool uncle. And maybe he'd look into adopting a child once this was all over. He didn't have any family, after all, and marriage was something he'd figured out wasn't for him several years before.

Before too long, Lujanne called that their meal was ready.

"It's not grubs, is it?" Ezran asked her as they sat down.

"No, no. I made actual food this time since we have a young child here."

"You make food with grubs?" Sarai gasped.

"Illusion food. I enchant it so it's delicious. Your father didn't care for it much."

"You know my papa!"

"Indeed, I do. I was the one who officiated his ceremony with your mother, after all."

"Ceremony?"

"When they were married. They insisted on it."

"Wow." Sarai turned her attention back to her meal and continued eating.

"It should only be another few days before we reach Xadia," Corvus told the group. "From there, we'll head around the Midnight Desert and reach the Storm Spire in about a week after that."

"Why don't we just go _through_ the desert?" Soren inquired.

"Soulfang serpents!" Sarai told him. "I'm not allowed to go near it because of them. This nice lady named Nyx helped me across when I went for help, though. Maybe we can ask her."

"This. This is a genius child." Soren jabbed his thumb at Sarai.

"Sure. We can ask Nyx," Ezran agreed.

"Yay!" Sarai clapped her hands.

Before too much longer, night had fallen and Sarai was curled up in the bed Ezran had once used when he visited the Moon Nexus as a child. He tucked her in with a smile and set up a bedroll nearby. She needed the bed more than he did. Sleep came easy to the king…

…until Sarai crying out woke him up.

In a flash, Ezran was on his feet and he could see Sarai crying in her sleep, still not awake. She was clearly having a nightmare. He shook her gently.

"Sarai. Wake up. It's just a bad dream!"

Her emerald-green eyes fluttered open and she sat up, throwing her arms around her uncle.

"Was it about your mama and papa?"

"Mm-hmm."

"It's going to be okay. We're going to find them, like I promised. How about I go see if Lujanne has anything for nightmares?"

"Okay…"

Ezran really hoped that Callum and Rayla came back to them safely.

He didn't think he or Sarai could handle it if they didn't.

* * *

Viren still hated elves with a burning passion, with the exception of one.

The fact that he and Claudia now relied on that race for power and strength did not sit well with him. Even worse was the fact that the impudent little mongrel of a step-prince, Callum, had married and _had a child_ with an elf—a Moonshadow elf assassin, of all things! Currently they were imprisoned in his dungeon, which made him feel slightly better about it all but their halfling child was still out in the world. _It_ could ruin everything; it didn't matter if it was supposedly a little girl. The abomination was a travesty against humanity and elves alike that must be destroyed.

He gazed at the assassin who'd seduced Prince Callum all those years ago, the elf looking older and more experienced in the world than he remembered when she'd launched herself at him and off the top of the Storm Spire. Right. She'd killed him until Claudia brought him back. Yet another reason to hate this elf; she'd put his daughter through that horrible experience. Though, to be fair, it wasn't the last time Claudia had used her dark powers for bringing back the dead or healing a mortal wound.

"Hello, _elf_," he sneered.

"Hello, bastard."

"Now, is that any way to treat the man who's keeping you alive?"

"Oh. You mean the man who ordered an attack on my family, had me brutally beaten, kidnapped my husband, and is looking to use my five-year-old daughter for dark magic? Yeah, that's the way to treat ya."

"Hmph." He narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps I'll just use _you_ for magic… but then we have no leverage with the mongrel down the hall."

Her eyes met his and he could see the defiance—the same defiance that blasted other Moonshadow elf had held in the dungeons all those years ago, before Viren was left out of the good graces of the royal family. And even further back were the Dragonguards he'd stolen the egg from. She looked exactly like the elf woman from back then.

"I'm done with you for now. Goodbye, you elven whore."

She spat at him as he left but he chose to ignore it as he continued down the hall to Prince Callum's cell. If possible, the human was doing even worse despite the lack of physical punishment being done to him. Perhaps the psychological torment of listening to his mistress's screams of pain was enough.

"Are you ready to tell me where that daughter of yours is?" he asked. Callum looked away. "You're only prolonging the inevitable. We will treat her with far more kindness."

"You mean when you kill her."

"It will be a meaningful death—much more meaningful than her birth."

Callum's glare could have melted a Sunforge blade at that moment. Viren stepped back a bit; he'd never known the prince to have such a degree of murderous anger.

"I would stop talking if I was you," he growled.

"And I wouldn't be so aggressive if I were _you_. Remember, it's only _my_ orders keeping you and the elven wench alive. I can rescind them at any time."

"But you won't. Because we're far more valuable to you alive than dead."

Viren bit the inside of his cheek. The boy was too smart for his own good.

"We _will_ find her. And I will take great pleasure in experimenting with the magical power of a halfling child."

Callum fell silent again and Viren left him alone.

* * *

Crossing the border was a lot more fun with other people, Sarai had decided. Soren was doing everything he could to keep her spirits up while they traveled. Corvus let her ride in the cart instead of on a horse (the cart was more fun because she could move around a lot better). Ezran told her stories about his first trip to Xadia when he'd been ten years old. She knew they were trying to keep her mind off of her parents and it made sense that they were doing it, but nothing could truly keep her mind off her mother and father for long.

_And what about Grampa and Grampy? They must've noticed we were gone._

_ Grampy will find Mama and Papa. But he'll need help._

She gazed up at the sky. They'd stopped to make camp for the night and Sarai had wandered off on her own for a bit. Now she was lying on the grass, staring up at the full moon above her.

_"Mama gets her magic from the moon?"_

_ "Right. And she's her most powerful when the moon is full, like it is tonight."_

_ Sarai pursed her lips as she stared at the moon._

_ "Papa?"_

_ "Yes, Moonbug?"_

_ "How come I can't do Moon magic like Mama?"_

_ "I don't know. I can't really do it, either. She tried to explain it to me once but I didn't understand."_

_ "And that's why I call you the dumb prince."_

_ Father and daughter sat up to see Rayla walking up to join them. All three lay on the grass looking up at the sky. Sarai turned her head enough to see Callum and Rayla holding hands, his five fingers interlocking with her four._

_ "Hey, Mama? Papa?"_

_ "Yes, wee one?" Rayla replied._

_ "I'm different, aren't I?"_

_ Almost immediately, both parents shot upright and Sarai sat up to get a better look at them._

_ "What makes you think that?" Callum asked nervously._

_ "Sometimes, when we're in the market…" Callum and Rayla pulled her closer so she was sitting between them. "There'll be an elf that looks at me funny. And I heard this old lady say that I shouldn't exist because I'm unnatural."_

_ "No, you're not." Callum wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter, squishing Sarai between them. "Your mama is an elf and I'm a human. For a long time, we were supposed to be at war with each other but I fell in love with her anyway. She's strong and brave and the most amazing person I know."_

_ "And next time someone says somethin' like that, tell me," Rayla added. "I'll take care of 'em."_

_ "Wait, if Mama is an elf and Papa is a human… then what am I?"_

_ Halfling._

That was the word her father had used that night. He'd emphasized that she was special because no halfling had been born in over a thousand years and she was the first. And that had prompted her to request a younger sibling… a request that made her mama and papa turn red for some reason that she didn't understand. Callum grew up with a younger brother and they'd been close until Callum had chosen to live in Xadia with Rayla. Her mother had even seen Ezran as a younger brother since a couple days after they'd met.

"_There_ you are."

She tilted her head back a little to see Soren.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at the moon. I wanna do Moon magic like Mama but I can't do it yet."

"You're little. You still have plenty of time."

"But if I could do it, I could turn invisible and help Mama and Papa get free!"

Soren sighed and laid down beside her.

"Magic isn't all it's cracked up to be, you know."

"It's fun."

"And it can be really dangerous, like fighting in a battle."

"You can't do magic, I thought."

"No. But… but I knew Viren. And… I knew Claudia. I know what they did and what they tried to do. That's how I know magic is dangerous."

"Oh." She sighed.

"So… have you tried doing Sky magic, like your dad?"

"Mama says I'm too young. It's the same reason she won't teach me Moon magic yet. She told me I should be a little girl for a little while longer."

_Yes. Stay innocent and don't become aware of how screwed-up the world is._

"And she's right."

Before too long, they were joined by Ezran and Corvus. The four of them just laid there for a while, observing the sky. It was good to do that once in a while, just to settle yourself. And the fact that Sarai kept telling stories about her parents—Rayla's cooking disasters, Callum's tendency to say the wrong thing to his wife—made it all the better, a bonding experience.

They weren't far from the border now.

* * *

**I know this story is moving fast, but there's a reason their journey is going more smoothly.**

** First of all, they're on horseback and can stick to roads. This means no weird detours through the mountains (except to see Lujanne). Second of all, Viren's journey to Xadia took a very short amount of time, which implies that on horseback it's not a long journey at all. Like, seriously, he goes from Katolis to Xadia within just a couple episodes where it's taken Rayla, Callum, and Zym a couple seasons. And third of all, Ezran is the one pushing them forward to find Callum and Rayla because he needs his big brother and big sister to be safe.**

** Next time: Claudia interrogates Rayla and Amaya meets her great-niece for the first time.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	4. Terror

**Okay, before I get started, some housekeeping things.**

** First, if you are reading this on AO3, the 'Evil Claudia' tag is gone. I removed it because Claudia is not our main villain. As always, that would be Viren.**

** Secondly, all Moonshadow elves will have Scottish names. I think that's pretty self-explanatory.**

** And finally, not really a detail I need to explain but just something interesting: Callum is a Scottish name. It means 'dove', AKA a symbol of peace. Just… something interesting.**

** Onto the story!**

* * *

Claudia knew full well she'd missed her chance.

That chance had come when she was sixteen at the Moon Nexus, when she'd chosen to pull away from Callum and instead inform him of the king's death. Or maybe she'd ruined her chances when she'd chosen to try and bring him and Ezran back to Katolis by force. No. It had been ruined when she chose dark magic over the lives of people she'd known as long as she could remember. She'd never forget the look of disgust on Callum's face the one time she saw him between the battle at the Storm Spire and capturing him a month and a half earlier.

_It's not fair._

Somewhere in all the mess that was her life at the moment, she had fallen for Callum and fallen hard. But despite his massive and obvious crush on her in their youth, he'd clearly moved on from her. He'd married that _Moonshadow elf_ and had a daughter he loved more than anything in the world. And Claudia could understand why he hated her now. She'd barged in with a small elven army and ripped his already-broken family to even smaller shreds. In her head she'd justified it by making up some lie to herself about Rayla casting some kind of charm on Callum to trick him, but she knew Moonshadow elves didn't do that kind of magic.

She needed answers. And since talking to Callum didn't do any good, she only had one option for those answers.

The elf who'd stolen Callum's heart.

As she approached Rayla's cell, she noticed that the former assassin was sitting, waiting for something. Their eyes met. Rayla narrowed hers and looked away.

"What do you want, Dark Mage?" she snapped.

"I… I wanted to ask you some things."

"Like my daughter's whereabouts? Sorry, no idea."

"No. About Callum."

"What about Callum?"

"How… how did you get him to fall for you?" Rayla raised an eyebrow.

"Are you asking me for advice on how to seduce my husband?"

"NO! I just—he had a crush on me for the longest time and then suddenly, he's with you. Like I didn't even matter to him."

"Well, let's see. I spent time with him. We went through hell and back to get Zym back to his mum. We got to know each other… yeah, that's about it."

"That's _it_?!"

"Yep. All that's required to have any kinda relationship."

"I knew him before you did. And I spent time with him. I knew him."

"No, ya didn't. He hated dark magic and ya did it thinkin' he would like it. Or didn't ya see how he spat out yer pancakes at the Moon Nexus?"

"That's—"

"How about the fact that I comforted him when he was dealin' with Harrow's death, after you told him and then ran away to cry to Soren? I was keepin' it from him because I didn't know how to tell him and I didn't want him to get hurt. And when ya tried to kill a _dragon_, after he did dark magic for the only time in his life, ya know what happened? He became extremely ill and I had to take care of him. I was more terrified of losin' him than I was angry at him for usin' dark magic. We depend on each other and support each other. That's why we love each other."

Claudia felt a lump in her throat.

"I… I had no idea…"

"Of course ya didn't. Ya didn't stick around ta see the fallout of anythin'."

She was right. Claudia had always avoided those confrontations because she didn't want anyone to get hurt, but sometimes that hurt more than the confrontations themselves. Rayla was still by Callum's side even though much of her kind regarded her as a traitor of the highest order because of her relationship with him. She was the one raising a child with him and creating a life that Claudia could have had if things were much different.

And as much as she hated Rayla for stealing Callum away…

…really, he'd never been Claudia's in the first place.

Without a word, she turned and vanished down the hall.

* * *

Thanks to Sarai, their journey took much less time than they'd expected. Nyx brought them to the other side of the desert in just two days, saying goodbye to Sarai and for the little one to come visit her sometime. Mentally Ezran added her to the 'list of people who will die for a five-year-old' he was making in his head. Said list included… at least half a dozen people so far and probably more once Amaya and Janai met their great-niece. He wasn't sure if any elves really loved Sarai other than Nyx. In fact, according to Sarai, it had been elves who'd taken Callum and Rayla away and elves that always treated her like an outcast because of her halfling status.

_How dare they._

They'd finally made it to the Storm Spire. Amaya and Janai's army was nowhere in sight, so they stopped to set up camp for the night.

None of them noticed the threat lurking in the shadows. A Moonshadow elf assassin by the name of Graeme. He was one of Viren's elves, one who hated Rayla and Callum with a passion for a variety of reasons—most chiefly being that it was a human-elf relationship. And it was Graeme who'd been waiting for the halfling to return. It had come back with three more humans to invade Xadia, humans who were undoubted somehow related to its parents. He concentrated as he glared at the brat, who was sitting on a rock and watching its protectors set up the campsite. Eventually, it got up and wandered off while the elders were talking about plans to meet up with a group that would be arriving soon.

_Now_.

Graeme moved swiftly and quietly towards the abomination that masqueraded as a little girl. Before he reached it, however, it turned and somehow saw him. It let out a scream.

"Sarai!"

Ezran, Soren, and Corvus heard her scream immediately and rushed over to find a Moonshadow elf holding her. His arm was around her neck, a dagger pressed to her throat as he glared daringly at the three. Sarai struggled desperately against her captor but stopped as he pressed the edge hard enough for beads of blood to appear near the blade. Her eyes were wide with horror and fear.

"One move and I'll cut the brat's throat!"

"You don't have to do this," Ezran said warningly.

"It shouldn't exist. I'm only doin' what needs ta be done fer the good of Xadia!"

"You mean killing a child?" Soren challenged.

"This isn't a child! It's a foul beast disguised as a child!"

Sarai whimpered in fear. Ezran had so many thoughts running through his head but none of the ideas that he had for saving his niece would work. Not while the assassin had her by the neck and was pressing a dagger into her throat.

"I'll be goin' now."

He started to back away, his eyes never leaving the three humans for a second. And that was when Ezran saw a chance behind him—a Sunforge blade that glowed in the fading light of the day being brought down onto the elf's shoulder. He screamed as it hissed and bubbled, dropping Sarai and the dagger. Corvus ran forward and scooped up the little girl. She was shaking with fear as Ezran took her from the guard, hugging her tightly to try and calm her down.

"Traitor!" hissed the Moonshadow elf, holding his injury as he whirled around to face his attacker and Ezran got a look at Sarai's savior.

_Janai!_

"I will not allow a child to be harmed before me when I can stop it."

"That's an abomination—"

Janai kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards as he managed to stay on his feet. Soren unsheathed his sword and Janai nodded to him. The Moonshadow elf growled in fury. He'd realized he was outmatched and outnumbered and retreat was his only option. He turned around and fled the scene, Janai and Soren glaring at his back as he left.

"How is she?" Soren asked, finally facing Ezran.

"My neck hurts," Sarai whimpered. The place where the assassin had pressed the dagger was a bleeding line—not deep enough to be life-threatening but deep enough for it to require medical attention as soon as they could get it.

"We'll get you some help, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Ezran."

"This must be Callum and Rayla's daughter," Janai sighed, sheathing her blade. "I heard the scream and came running as soon as I could. I only apologize that I was not here sooner."

"We were even closer and he had her when we got here," Corvus replied. "I assume General Amaya is nearby?"

As if to answer his question, the dark-haired woman and her red-haired interpreter appeared from the trees, Amaya signing a question to her wife and Janai signing her response. Sarai was still crying and Ezran was trying his best to soothe her. Amaya then turned to her nephew and motioned for him to follow her and her companions. Corvus excused himself to go retrieve their belongings.

"She's lucky," Janai commented as she walked beside Ezran. "That could have gone much worse."

Ezran's heart twisted in pain as he thought about the looks of grief that would have come onto Callum and Rayla's faces if they'd lost their daughter like that. It was his job to protect her in their stead and he would be damned if he didn't do it right.

They soon arrived at the camp where Amaya directed them to a healers' tent. The healer they ended up with was a kind-looking woman by the name of Vera, who quickly used the proper tools to patch and bandage Sarai's neck. Sarai held onto Ezran's hand the entire time, sniffling until she fell asleep.

She deserved it.

* * *

He couldn't sleep.

There were so many reasons why—his imprisonment, Rayla's screams of pain down the hall, Viren's threats, the fact that his child was out and alone in the world… none of it was conducive to a good night's sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Rayla bloody and beaten, or Sarai's vibrant green eyes dulled as she lay on the ground. They were the most important things in his world, and the thought of losing them was too painful to dwell on for long. It was the reality of his situation, however, and he had to accept it sooner or later.

"…must be difficult to sleep down here."

He glared at Claudia before he noticed the look on her face.

_She looks… guilty?_

"I mean, you've been married to Rayla for eight years now and you've been attached at the hip for even longer than that. You need each other."

"Claudia…?" She took a deep breath.

"Maybe this is a terrible idea. You'll still be in anti-magic cuffs and down here, but…" Claudia opened his cell door and unlocked his shackles. "It's transfer time."

Callum narrowed his eyes in suspicion as Claudia tied his wrists behind his back and began leading him down the hall. To his complete shock, she stopped in front of a cell where he could see Rayla sitting on the floor. Claudia unlocked the door and put a spell on the second set of shackles within the cell. Those were what she put Callum into, but Rayla stirred at the noise. Her violet eyes filled with tears as she and her husband embraced for the first time in almost two months.

"You two deserve to spend as much time together as possible," Claudia sighed, closing the cell door and locking it. "I don't know what's going to happen. And you don't, either. But that's why I'm doing this. No family deserves to be split apart."

"We're still not telling you where our daughter is," Rayla spat defiantly.

"And I'm not going to ask. Just… be together as long as you can."

For some reason, Claudia's heart felt much lighter as she walked away.

_Be happy._

_ I won't let Dad hurt Sarai…_

* * *

"Is she better?"

Gren and Amaya entered the healers' tent as Vera was replacing Sarai's bandages.

"Much better," Ezran replied with a smile, signing for Amaya's benefit. "We're going to find her house today, if she's up for it."

"I _am_!" insisted Sarai.

"Now, be careful with the bandages, all right?" requested Vera, kneeling in front of Sarai. "They'll help you get better but only if you're not too reckless."

"Yes, Miss Vera."

"Good girl." Vera smiled and walked away.

"We will accompany you and Sarai, if you don't mind," Gren stated, translating for Sarai's benefit. "I'd like to see where my eldest nephew has been living all this time."

"I don't mind. Do you?" Ezran looked at Sarai, who shook her head.

Within the hour, they'd eaten breakfast and were on a well-worn path through the forest. It wasn't big—maybe enough for a family about the size of Sarai's—and it wound through the trees in a way that was fairly difficult to follow. Sarai was once again on Soren's shoulders as she looked for something, anything familiar. Before too long he'd set her on the ground and she ran ahead of the group.

"Sarai!" called Ezran, running after her. She'd stopped in a clearing, staring at the ground.

"This is where Mama… she told Papa to run and get me to safety."

"Okay, so we're close." Sarai nodded.

Continuing forward, they soon saw the house. It was a small, two-story structure. A small training area sat not far away and a pond was just beyond that. The oddest thing about it was that it didn't _look_ like it had been abandoned for almost two months. There was even smoke coming from the chimney. Sarai's eyes widened and she dashed for the door before anybody could stop her.

It opened and a kind-looking Moonshadow elf stepped out. Sarai stopped and stared up at him, recognition lighting up both their faces as the elf swept her into a hug.

"Grampa!" she squealed.

"Sarai! Oh, thank the Sources…" His eyes went to the group behind her. "Thank you for bringing her home."

"W-who are you?" Ezran asked, confused.

"My name is Ethari. I suppose you could say I'm Rayla's father." He set Sarai down as Gren interpreted what he'd said to Amaya, who didn't have a clear view. "I've been here for a while, waiting for news from my husband. We knew something was wrong when we came to visit and the house was empty."

Sarai buried her face in the hem of Ethari's robes and he rubbed her hair gently.

"Come inside. Runaan should be back soon."

The inside of the house could only be described as 'homey'. It wasn't coherent in any way, shape or form; drawings sat in frames on the walls while weapons (mostly variations of Rayla's trademark blades) sat on the end table. A chess game was set up in the corner. Underneath a dining table there was a crudely-made stuffed bear (Ezran recognized Rayla's lack of seamstress skill in the stitching) that Sarai ran over and snatched up, hugging tightly. Soren sat down on the couch cautiously, Amaya and Janai doing the same while Ethari went into the kitchen.

"How long has she been with all of you?" the Moonshadow blacksmith inquired.

"A month, maybe," Ezran replied, crouching by Sarai under the table. "She came to us exhausted and starving and asking for help."

"Papa told me to run and I did," she stated stubbornly. "I'm really fast."

"Don't we know it," laughed Soren. "How many times have we struggled to catch up with you since this all started?"

"You should see her in the water," Ethari commented. "She takes to it like a fish. Meanwhile, I couldn't even get Rayla to take a simple bath without a fight when she was Sarai's age."

"Mama's afraid of water. Papa says there's nothing wrong with it."

A few minutes of talking later and Ethari emerged from the kitchen with cups of tea for everyone except Sarai. She got a cup of moonberry juice.

"What do you know about what happened?" Ezran asked Ethari.

"Not much, I'm afraid." He took a deep breath. "When Runaan and I got here, I guess it was about two weeks after it happened. We'd spent the _day_ they were taken with Rayla at the market and came back two weeks later for another visit. The only reason we even knew they were taken was because we found Rayla's swords on the ground. She would never leave them behind. Runaan set out to find news, tracking rumors and sightings, and I stayed here in case Sarai came home so she'd have a friendly face to return to."

Sarai stood up and put a hand on top of Ethari's.

"Thank you, wee one." He sighed, a smile crossing his face. "I received a message from him yesterday that he would be returning soon. He told me that he found them but there's no way to break them out on his own. That's why I'm glad ta see all of you."

"I can help!" Sarai said, her eyes lighting up.

"No, Sarai. We don't want you near the fight," Ezran told her. Her face fell. "You're really young and you haven't been in battle yet."

"Not to mention you're a target," Soren added. Ethari seemed to finally notice the bandages around his granddaughter's neck.

"What happened to her?" he asked, his voice low.

"A Moonshadow assassin found her and pressed his dagger against her neck," Janai explained. "I was able to wound him and he escaped back to whence he came."

"Thank the Sources…"

"Oh, and um, Ethari?" Ezran spoke up again. "Another elf should be arriving here soon. I didn't know you were here, so I asked her to come take care of Sarai while we were fighting."

"Understandable. I'm just glad the young king of Katolis thinks so far ahead."

"Callum would say I've always been that way. It's just more obvious now."

Sarai still didn't look pleased at being left behind, but she knew there was nothing she could really do about it. She was still little and her mother's talent for battle had _not_ been passed onto her. All she could do was wait. And hope.

* * *

**YAAAAAAAAAAY ANOTHER CHAPTER**

** I think this might be a story I actually finish. I'm setting up the pieces for our climax.**

** And to those of you who are wondering where Rayla's parents are: spoilers. That's all I can say.**

** In other news, I'm out of class for the semester and I have fic ideas but I'm not talented enough to do them. The big one that I think would be awesome is a modern version of the series where Rayla is basically an action hero on a motorcycle (with a sidecar for Ezran, Bait, and Zym, of course; Callum will naturally be riding behind her). I don't know; it's dumb. Feel free to adopt it.**

** Next time: Runaan reunites with his granddaughter and they set out to find Callum and Rayla.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	5. History

**Fair warning, it's mostly flashbacks this go-round. I like doing them because it means two things: one, I don't have to write a prequel later, and two, it fleshes out this timeline. *shrugs* Also, possibly three, I get to write a story within a story. Like, fics I might write in their entirety later.**

** And real quick: yes, they have all met Ethari and Runaan before at Callum and Rayla's wedding. However, that was a brief meeting several years ago and it's been a long time.**

* * *

Runaan felt apprehensive as he approached Rayla and Callum's home.

_I found them. But the question is where I go for aid…_

Opening the door, he was surprised to see that there were several humans inside. One he recognized as a general of Lux Aurea—Amaya. There was also the insipid blonde brute who had once chained him and kept him in the dungeon of Katolis. Perhaps the most shocking was the king of Katolis himself—Ezran, Rayla's brother-in-law. His eyes didn't rest on them for long, however, as his gaze soon swept over the room again as he realized that Sarai was home. His precious granddaughter had come home again.

"Sarai!" he gasped in joy. She spotted him and her eyes lit up as she ran towards him. Runaan swept her into a hug as the other humans (and Queen Janai was there as well for some reason) smiled at the scene.

"Grampy! You're back!"

"Of course I am. Where have you been?"

"I went to Katolis and found Uncle Ezran and they're gonna help us save Mama and Papa!" Runaan sighed, a happy smile still on his face.

"We heard you found them?" the blonde inquired.

"Yes. There's a fortress a few days' journey away. I saw Rayla myself."

"And Callum?" pressed Ezran.

"According to her, he was just down the hall. I scouted it a little more. Our old enemy is there. As is his daughter.

"Viren and Claudia…"

"I wasn't seen, but it was a close call. I've spent the last several days trying to shake any of their men who might be following."

"There are some around here," Corvus sighed. "One almost killed Sarai last night—a Moonshadow elf. It's because of Janai that she's here now."

Runaan clutched Sarai even tighter, if that was possible, and stood up with her in his arms.

"We must set out to save them as soon as possible."

The other adults in the room nodded and Runaan set his granddaughter down. The sun was setting now and it would be time for her to go to sleep soon while the rest of them made plans for the coming battle. His throat tightened at the bandages around hers. He could remember a time, shortly before she'd married, that Rayla had been brought to him in a severely-injured state. It had been an incident which confirmed in his mind that, despite his disapproval, despite the glaring looks and not-so-subtle threats to the boy's physical state, Callum was never going to leave Rayla's side willingly.

_"She's got to be all right, right?!"_

_ Runaan sighed as he watched Callum anxiously pacing. He'd seen Lain behave much the same way when Tiadrin was giving birth to Rayla, although back then Runaan had been just as anxious to see his 'sister' pull through. He knew Rayla would be fine; Ethari was caring for her. His husband had simply shooed their daughter's fiancé out of the room while he worked to get some peace._

_ "Rayla is one of the best assassins to ever come from the Silvergrove—at least, in terms of skill. She will be fine."_

_ "I just… if…" The boy was panicking now, the worry more obvious on his face. "I can't lose her. I just __**can't**__."_

_ "I hear humans have a tendency to remarry if they lose a spouse," Runaan mused out loud._

_ "Some do. Others are like my stepdad was and they never do." Callum finally sat down, allowing Runaan to feel a little less annoyed._

_ "Then he must have been a rare one."_

_ "Wait… is… is that why you don't approve? Because you think I'll leave Rayla?"_

_ "Humans are treacherous liars. They have little appreciation for sacred bonds or loyalty, not like elves."_

_ "I've met __**plenty**__ of elves who are liars, too."_

_ Runaan was shocked by the anger in the boy's eyes; it was akin to the glare Rayla tended to have for those who insulted her choice in a husband or called her a traitor. It only made sense that he'd picked it up._

_ "I've known since I was fifteen that Rayla was it for me. I love her, and I'm spending the rest of my life with her. So you might as well get used to it!"_

_ "Callum, why are you yellin' at Runaan?" Rayla asked, coming out of the house. Her sides were bandaged and she appeared to be back on her feet for the most part._

_ "Nothing. We were just having a disagreement."_

_ The way Rayla quirked her eyebrow clearly stated she didn't believe him, but she quickly kissed him on the cheek anyway._

_ "Dumb prince."_

_ "Rayla, you still need to rest," Ethari called from the doorway, making their daughter groan._

_ "I feel __**fine**__."_

_ "You won't for long. Get back into bed."_

_ She grumbled as she turned to head back, but then she whirled around to grab her husband-to-be by the hand._

_ "You're comin' with me."_

_ "Yes, ma'am."_

_ Runaan secretly smiled at the lovestruck look on Callum's face as Rayla dragged him into the house. Ethari didn't bother hiding his and walked over to Runaan._

_ "He's good for her."_

_ "I guess, if she __**had**__ to pick a human, I'd prefer that one." Ethari kissed him on the cheek._

_ "I'd prefer him over any other suitor for her, to be honest. They've been to hell and back over the years and it's bound them together in a way that will be impossible to undo."_

_ "And to think I accused him of not respecting bonds…"_

_ "Is this you saying you approve?"_

_ "As close as I'll ever be to sayin' it. And I'll never tell him to his face; it'll go to his head."_

_ "Well, I'd best make sure things stay quiet. I know Callum won't try anythin', but Rayla, on the other hand…"_

_ Runaan chuckled._

Somehow, he'd stayed away after that. And somehow, Sarai had brought him back into their lives in full-force. He still took great pleasure in making the human boy nervously squirm but that was just as his father-in-law. It was a tradition, he'd learned, on both sides of the border. Still, it was because of Callum that Rayla was alive now, that the Dragon Prince had been returned, that _he_ had been brought back to Ethari. It was a debt that Runaan was unwilling to face and unable to ever truly pay back. But he'd keep it in the back of his mind for the rest of his life, as long as the boy didn't bring it up himself.

Onto current events, Sarai was talking happily to Soren (the blonde one) and Runaan could see that the family that could protect her—one that had for her entire life consisted of her parents, him, and Ethari—was so much bigger, and he was going to have to accept that so many people wanted Sarai in their lives.

_Perhaps Ethari and I will move to Katolis…_

* * *

"And did he mention how long it took for him to get here?"

"No. He didn't." Rayla sighed and Callum placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Rayla, we're going to get out of here. We'll get through this like we've gotten through everything else."

She hugged him and he rested his head against hers.

"How can ya be so sure?"

"Remember when we found out Sarai was coming? A-and after you gave birth, you told me that we'd get through it together, figure it out. That's what we're going to do now. We're Rayla and Callum. There is nothing we can't get through if we stick with each other."

She smiled and he pulled her even closer.

"When this is over, we'll make sure that Viren and Claudia are finished for good and they won't come after us again. Or Sarai."

"I think about her a lot in here," Rayla admitted in a small voice. "We have no idea where she is or how to find her."

"But we will."

She snuggled into his side and he could feel her breathing become more even as she fell asleep. He decided to do the same, her warmth making it easier to relax a little.

* * *

_He knew he'd never forget the look on Rayla's face._

_ Her eyes were wide, her mouth a perfect circle in shock as she stared at the ring in his hand. He grinned sheepishly as he waited for her answer to the question he had just asked. Ezran and Soren were waiting off to the side with Corvus and Opeli, wanting to see Rayla's answer and ready to help them celebrate the second she said 'yes' because why wouldn't she say yes?_

_ "Callum…"_

_ "If you're not ready, I understand, but—"_

_ "No, it's just… you needed to __**ask**__?" He blinked, then laughed as he slid the ring onto her finger and she yanked him into a kiss by his scarf. Suddenly, there was whooping (from Soren) and cheering as the others came out of hiding._

_ "You're going to be my sister now," Ezran told Rayla proudly._

_ "I thought I was already your sister." She smiled, then went over to Soren and punched him in the arm. "And you could be a little more mature, ya know."_

_ "Where's the fun in teasing you if I'm being 'mature'?" Soren smirked at her. "Besides, now you're going to be a princess."_

_ "Right. The first elven princess of Katolis," Opeli affirmed with a nod._

_ "Ooh… that's, uh…"_

_ "And let's go write a letter to Runaan and Ethari to tell them!" Callum grabbed his fiancée by the shoulders and pulled her along, hoping to change the subject away from what a huge political deal their marriage would be._

_ He wasn't just marrying her because it would bring Katolis closer to Xadia. It was because he loved her. He would die if it meant she would live and he knew she'd do the same for him. Unfortunately, the other human kingdoms and many of the elves in Xadia wouldn't see it that way. They'd see it as a political gambit. All he wanted was to marry the love of his life and live with her until they both died of old age. Was that really too much to ask?_

* * *

_ Rayla wasn't fond of many human traditions, but Opeli had informed her of one that caught her attention. According to that tradition, the father of the bride (or her closest male relative) would walk her down the aisle and 'give her away'. And while she was her own person and had never 'belonged' to her two foster fathers, the fact that it meant they would essentially be showing their approval of her and Callum's marriage was what stuck in her head. The wedding dress was another that, while she wasn't fond of it, she did enjoy searching for one._

_ "Callum is going to lose it when he sees you," Ezran told her when he saw her in it for the first time. He was acting as her 'maid of honor' (really no clue what it meant but he'd insisted since she had no female friends) and Bait let out a croak of agreement._

_ "Define 'lose it'." Rayla patted the skirt, brushing some stray lint off it._

_ "I mean he's going to forget everything he probably memorized for his vows, possible forget how to breathe, something like that."_

_ "Then why are you smiling?"_

_ "Because Callum told me when we were little that was what Dad did when he saw Mom at their wedding. They really loved each other and now it's you and Callum's turn."_

_ Not for the first time, Rayla wished she could've met Queen Sarai before her death. Every story Callum and Amaya had told her was that of a woman who stuck to her morals and stood by her husband, even when they didn't agree. Ruthless and kind, loving and stubborn, she was the kind of woman that Rayla felt like she would've gotten along with. But part of her wondered if Sarai would've accepted her, and based on a story from one of the guards, Sarai wasn't as hateful towards Xadia as many of her peers tended to be. On the contrary, the mission that had claimed her life had been one she opposed but went along with because Harrow wanted to and it would save another kingdom._

_ "So… is there anythin' else I need ta do fer the weddin'?"_

_ "Mm… not really. I mean, there's this whole superstition about the bridal bouquet when you throw it, but… that's not that important."_

_ "Human weddin's are so weird… why would ya throw the flowers?"_

_ "Whoever catches the bouquet is next to get married or something. I don't understand it either."_

_ Rayla looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was just a few shades different from her dress, which was as white as snow. She thought back to when Opeli had first told her about the gown she'd have to wear and the disgust she'd displayed, but she felt like it was really something that she could deal with… especially if it left her motormouth human prince speechless for once in his life. In her mind, she could see him struck speechless akin to the first time she'd kissed him in the Oasis—eyes wide and his face being one of shock as he fumbled with his words. Sources, she loved him and she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with her dumbass prince._

* * *

It felt weird, being back in her room after all this time. She couldn't sleep.

She expected her mother and father to come tuck her in and kiss her goodnight any moment. She'd hear a story about the time before she was born, back when they'd known each other as simply assassin and mage. Maybe her father would secretly take her stargazing or on a flight and then her mother would snap that Sarai needed sleep.

Crying was not something that Sarai had really allowed herself since she was separated from them. At the castle, it had been the kindness of her uncle Ezran that brought on the tears. Any other time she'd cried on this journey was because she was hurt. Now, though, the longing for her mama and papa, the pain of knowing that she could do nothing more to help them, the familiarity of her room… it brought the tears to her eyes again and she buried her face in her pillow.

_"Papa, how did you meet Mama?"_

_ "How did I meet your mom?" Sarai nodded. Her four-year-old eyes were wide with excitement as she lay under her blankets. "Okay, that's tonight's story, I guess. Sure you don't want a fairy tale?"_

_ "Mm-hmm!"_

_ "All right, then. Where should I start?"_

_ "Where did you meet her?"_

_ "In Katolis, back when I lived there with your uncle Ezran and my stepfather, King Harrow. I was almost fifteen, and that day some weird stuff was going on. Dad was sending me and Ezran to the Banther Lodge. I found out it was because assassins were coming for him. Moonshadow elf assassins."_

_ "And Mama was one of them!"_

_ "Yes, but she was different from the others. Anyway, I'd had a fight with your uncle and I was trying to find him so we could get going. He really liked going through the secret passages in the castle. While I was looking for him, I heard a weird noise. Then I heard footsteps behind me. I thought it was him, so I turned around and there was your mama. She pulled back her hood and I saw that she was an elf."_

_ "And then he made a comment about my ears," Rayla added, leaning against the door frame._

_ "Hey, I said I was talking about the two swords you had, not your ears. I like your ears."_

_ "Mm…. I'll let it slide." She smiled and Sarai giggled._

_ "Then your mama started chasing me. I ran past some guards and she took them out by sweeping the leg, which impressed me because this guy named Soren had always said sweeping the leg wasn't a thing in sword-fighting. I ended up in the chambers of Viren, who hadn't betrayed anybody yet, and she cornered me there."_

_ "I asked him to tell me where his brother was, and he tricked me into believin' he was Ezran for about half a minute before your uncle actually showed up through one of those tunnels." Rayla sat down on the end of her daughter's bed next to her husband. "His first move was to offer me a jelly tart before blindin' me for a second with his glow-toad."_

_ "Bait, right?" Sarai remembered him from other stories._

_ "Right."_

_ "I ended up going through the tunnel with Ezran, where he brought me to find a secret room in the castle. You had to solve a puzzle to get in and he'd spent a month figuring it out. Your mama just pressed all the stones with jelly handprints. And do you know what we found in that room?"_

_ Sarai shook her head._

_ "We found Zym's egg."_

_ "We knew we had to bring him back to Zubeia, so that was the night your father and I set out with your uncle for Xadia."_

_ "…did King Harrow die?"_

_ "Yes. Runaan killed him, unfortunately."_

_ "And then what happened?"_

_ "We'll tell you another time," Callum replied, kissing Sarai's forehead. "For now, it's time for little girls to go to sleep."_

_ "Love you, Papa. Love you, Mama."_

_ "Love you, Sarai," they told her in unison._

In frustration, Sarai went to her window and leaned on the sill. The stars twinkled up above, almost mockingly, as she sighed. Tomorrow, she'd be left here with Ethari and Miss Lujanne while everyone else went out to save her parents. Her eyes drifted to the moon, which was almost full yet again at this point in the month. She wondered if her mama could see the moon now and if it would be full when the others saved her and Callum. She hoped so.

She knew her family would be together again soon.

* * *

**Like I said, it's setup and fleshing out this time around. Bit of a filler chapter but I hope you liked it.**

** Next time: battle-planning, Lujanne arrives, and Claudia reveals a secret to Callum and Rayla.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	6. Plans

The plan was a simple one: take the group of soldiers Janai and Amaya had brought and head for the fortress. There wasn't much else they could do. Runaan had gotten an idea of the place's layout but had no clue if there was more to it or how deep it went. They'd be setting out the next day as soon as Lujanne arrived (a message had been sent to her) and Ezran couldn't help but worry about Sarai. He'd poked his head into her room to check on her, only to find her asleep by the window instead of in her bed. Like the good uncle he was, he gently tucked her back under the covers.

"_…Mama…"_ she mumbled in her sleep.

"You'll have her back soon," Ezran assured her. "I'll see you in the morning."

He exited his niece's room and headed back towards the stairs. On his way, he spotted that another door was slightly ajar. He was just going to close it when he saw through the crack that it was another bedroom—this one clearly Callum and Rayla's. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened it all the way to look around.

There were pictures in Callum's art style all around the room—of Sarai, of Runaan and Ethari, of Ezran, of everyone in their lives. One that particularly got Ezran's attention was one of a heavily-pregnant Rayla sitting on a chair with her hands on her belly. Beside it was a picture of Rayla sitting on a dock while watching Sarai in the water. So much loving detail had been put into every aspect of the drawings that it struck Ezran that this was _real_. His brother and sister-in-law had been kidnapped, ripped from their child by a cruel twist of fate and he wondered what had gone through Callum's mind before he told Sarai to run.

"Ya know, I raised Rayla from when she was a wee thing." Ezran turned to see Ethari in the doorway. "Yet the most terrified I've ever seen her was the day that she found out she was goin' ta be a mother."

"How did Callum take it?"

"He was shocked, then he almost lost consciousness, and then he was excited. Runaan didn't visit them throughout the pregnancy, at least nowhere near as often as I did."

He picked up a drawing of Sarai sitting on Runaan's shoulders.

"Rayla and Runaan like to say that Sarai's had Callum wrapped 'round her finger since the day she was born, but it started before that. Never seen a man so devoted to his child as that one."

"Well, that's Callum for you. We lost our mother when we were young, so my dad raised us until I was ten. After he died, it was Opeli, Corvus, Rayla, and Callum who got me to adulthood."

"I'm sorry that he…"

"He knew he wouldn't make it through the night. That's why he was going to send me and Callum away, but I'm glad that we were delayed in leaving. If we'd left on time… Callum and Rayla wouldn't have met and there would still be a war going on."

"It's a terrible thing ta think about."

"I know. But I keep thinking about it anyway because… it's only because of Callum and Rayla that I'm alive now. She refused to kill me as soon as I showed her Zym's egg because she thought it was pointless to take revenge for something that never happened."

Ethari set the picture back down and he and Ezran headed back downstairs.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Claudia, thankfully, was the only visitor they had now that they were in the same cell. They never saw anyone else, not even Viren, and that struck both Callum and Rayla as odd. Not to mention their meals were slightly better now, too. Whenever they asked about what was going on, she'd dodge their questions and run off before they could ask again. She seemed worried about something—what, they had no idea. Until she came to their cell, panting heavily like she had just run all the way there.

"What's going on?" Callum inquired, frustrated with her.

"Sarai… she's in Xadia," Claudia gasped, finally getting her breath.

"Where?!"

"Storm Spire, from what I heard. And I also heard that Ezran, Soren, and Corvus are with her."

Callum felt himself relax extremely as he slumped back against the wall. The stress from the past two months was melting away. Sarai was safe. Ezran, Soren, and Corvus had her. They wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"With any luck, you two will be free in a few days and you'll be with her again."

"Why don't _you_ let us out?" Rayla snapped.

"I can't. If… if I do that… you're safer here for now."

"So you have us chained up ta keep us safe?"

"Yes. And that's why I ordered the interrogations to stop."

"What's _really_ goin' on?" Callum looked at Claudia expectantly.

"I… I can't…"

"Ya need ta tell us!"

"You're pregnant, okay?!"

The word echoed through their cell and Callum and Rayla both looked completely and totally shocked. Claudia bit her lip and slumped with her back against the wall behind her.

"That's why I stopped the interrogations and moved you into the same cell. That's why the food has been better. You're having another baby and I don't want this one to be born alone in a filthy underground cell or for you to lose it because of circumstance beyond your control."

"You've known since…?"

"Since after we had our talk about two weeks ago. I… I figured it out based on your… time of the month."

Rayla seemed to be calculating in her head and she gasped, covering her mouth in shock as Callum rubbed her shoulder.

"You're right. Oh my…"

"See? I'm… if I let you out, Dad's just going to send elves after you again and he won't let me be in charge of you. I'm doing this for the sake of your family so it won't be ripped apart like mine."

There was silence as Callum and Rayla really let the reality sink in. They were having another baby, a little brother or sister for Sarai like she'd requested. And they were still imprisoned but Claudia was in their corner. She wasn't going to let anybody hurt their family.

"Thank you."

"What?" She snapped her head up to look at Callum.

"Thank you for what you've done, but it's going to take a lot to get us out of here unscathed."

"I'm still on your side. I made the wrong choice all those years ago and I'm hoping to fix it now."

She got to her feet and smiled at them.

"Now, here's the plan…"

* * *

Sarai stared out the window as her family—what was left of it—prepared to leave. Every one of them had hugged her goodbye beforehand. She wanted so badly to be going with them but she had to stay with Lujanne and Ethari. They were doing their best to help her feel better, even though all of them knew it wasn't working. Even Lujanne's illusions she loved failed to make her feel any less upset about the fact that she was being left behind.

"Cheer up, little one," Lujanne encouraged, kneeling beside her. "They'll be back in a week with your mother and father. Then your family will be whole again."

"Something bad's going to happen. I can feel it in my belly."

"Oh?"

"Mm-hmm. I got the feeling when that bad elf was sneaking up on me and when Claudia and the other elves came to take Mama and Papa away."

Ethari knit his eyebrows together.

"What do you think's going to happen?" he inquired.

"I don't know." She looked ready to cry and Ethari scooped her up to soothe her. "I just want everyone to come home!"

"And they will."

She cried into her grandfather's shoulder until she fell asleep, at which point he tucked her into her bed before heading back downstairs to see Lujanne looking concerned.

"What is it?"

"She said she had a feeling. There are stories of before the split, when halflings were more common, of them being born with abilities."

"What kinds of abilities?"

"Healing injuries regardless of severity. Prophecy. Controlling others. Things humans and elves aren't able to do. Perhaps Sarai is one of those halflings."

"I think it's too early to tell, honestly. She'll turn six in a month's time."

"Magical abilities—particularly strong ones—tend to show up early. She just needs time to figure it out."

Ethari nodded in agreement.

"All we can do for now is wait."

About twenty minutes later, Sarai came downstairs and asked them to play with her for a while. They were more than willing if it meant taking her mind off the situation (and probably even if it didn't). It was just a day of trying to take her mind off those who were traveling.

* * *

"How far?"

"Two days' travel."

Viren growled. The little halfling brat was so close and he wouldn't be able to get at it. Graeme had turned out useful in his failure, however, as it seemed that King Ezran was in the area as well as Soren and Corvus. Queen Janai and General Amaya, too. All his enemies were there and they would more than likely be coming to him.

Still, it didn't hurt to have extra leverage.

"Prepare the fortress. We're going to have visitors. And I'm going to go retrieve our extra _guest_ myself since you have all failed to bring them here."

Graeme nodded and Viren prepared for his journey. He'd learned a few tricks since the last time he'd truly been in a fight and he was sure that retrieving the halfling would be simple as taking her away. His journey would be much shorter because of his magic, and the journey back would be quicker, too. Then he would have his newest test subject.

* * *

"You need to go to sleep, Sarai. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner tomorrow will come."

She crossed her arms, seemingly realizing that she wasn't going to win this argument as she laid down in her bed. Ethari tucked her in gently before blowing out the small candle that lit her room.

Sarai, on the other hand, did not go to sleep as her grandfather left the room. Rather, she stayed awake. She had a feeling in her tummy, a bad feeling that told her something was going to happen. Of course she wouldn't sleep through that. It would be better to remain vi-gi-lant, like her mama did. That way, whatever was going to happen wouldn't sneak up on her. So, instead of going to sleep, she sat straight up in bed and watched the shadows that danced on her walls as the breeze blew through the trees outside.

_Grampa and Miss Lujanne are downstairs. They won't let bad things happen to me._

Her eyes scanned the darkness, her Moonshadow elf blood coming through and allowing her to see in the dark. Her breathing became less steady as she listened to the wind howl. It was getting louder. She tried to calm herself but that only made it worse, the noise becoming almost deafening as she covered her ears to try and block it out. She squeezed her eyes shut and then the wind stopped entirely.

Opening her eyes showed her the most horrible creature.

It was like a human, but its skin had been grayed and scarred and wrinkled. Its eyes were endless pools of black with white hair on its head. The creature carried a staff of metal with an amethyst attached to it. Black robes covered the body and its body _reeked_ of something she'd never smelled before. She was choking on the stench as she coughed and tried to call for help. Before she could, however, the creature said something in a language she didn't understand that kept her rooted to the spot. Out of its hand came a clawed one that reached down her throat and pulled out something glowing.

She couldn't speak.

She only gasped as air came out. The creature had stolen her voice. Suddenly, she knew who this person was and she was even more terrified than before. It was Viren, the dark mage who had almost killed her mama and papa and Uncle Ezran. He'd been the reason that Mama's parents—her grandma and poppy—weren't around anymore. And he'd trapped Grampy in a coin away from Grampa and Mama. He was the definition of evil in her eyes and this was the first time she'd ever seen him. She felt nothing but fear.

"Little halfling," he said in a voice that had, once upon a time, been charming and persuasive. "All alone. How sad. Don't worry, I'm taking you to your mother and father. You'll have another chance to see them before you help me make history."

Sarai let out a silent sob. Then, as if to mock her, Viren let go of her voice and allowed her to scream before he snatched her up. Ethari and Lujanne burst in just in time to see Viren vanish with the little girl in his arms.

Next thing she knew, she was in a room full of dark magic things. Viren dropped her onto the floor, magical chains binding her to the wall as she struggled to get up.

"Don't struggle. That will only make this worse."

"Mama's gonna stop you!"

"Your mother is my prisoner, as is your father. You don't seem to realize your situation." He reached over to adjust the cuffs and she snapped her teeth at his wrist. "Know your place, _half-breed_."

Without any care, he backhanded her across the face and she let out a wail of pain.

Rayla's ears pricked up at a sound—a scream.

She knew that sound—that voice was her daughter's. Sarai was here and she was in pain. Rayla leapt to her feet and began kicking at the bars of their cell as Callum got up.

"What's going on?"

"Sarai's _here_! I heard her!"

"What?!" Callum stood beside her and started to look closer at the bars of their cell. He grabbed Rayla's arm to keep her from hurting herself in her efforts to get out.

"Dad!"

Viren turned to see Claudia in the doorway.

"Claudia, keep an eye on the filthy half-breed. I have to go take care of its caretakers."

The mage's eyes turned to Sarai as Viren left the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Claudia knelt by the little girl, who looked away in defiance.

"Sarai, I'm here to help you."

"You're bad, like him!"

"No, I'm not. Your mother and father are here and they've been waiting for you this entire time. I promise, I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay?"

The way her eyes narrowed was so much like Rayla. Claudia could see why anybody would grow attached to this child; she was so little and adorable.

"Here. I'll prove it."

Claudia unlocked the chains and took Sarai by the hand.

"You won't be able to see them for long, but it's better than nothing. Come on."

Sarai followed Claudia through the fortress, the dark mage carefully hiding from elves who patrolled its halls and making her way down to the dungeons. There, she followed the corridor until she came to Callum and Rayla's cell, where the former was trying to comfort the latter.

"Mama! Papa!"

Sarai's voice immediately got their attention.

"Sarai!" they gasped in unison. The family hugged as best they could through the bars.

"Are you all right, Moonbug? Are you hurt?" Callum asked.

"I'm fine, Papa."

"What happened to your neck?" Rayla inquired, noticing the bandages.

"A bad elf held a knife to my throat but Great-Aunt Janai saved me. Uncle Ezran couldn't do anything and neither could Uncle Soren."

"I'm just glad you're safe," Callum told his daughter.

"Me, too. I miss you both."

"It's hurt bein' apart from ya, wee one," Rayla admitted with tears forming in her eyes.

"Mama, don't cry. Assassins aren't supposed to cry and I'm here now."

"But I'll have to take her back to where Dad had her locked up," Claudia sighed. "I don't want to, but he'll take it out on you two if she's missing."

Before Claudia and Sarai left, Callum and Rayla both managed to give their daughter a goodbye kiss on the forehead. Then she was gone and they looked at each other in determination.

_We are not going to stay here._

* * *

**SHORTEST CHAPTER OF THIS FIC AWARD GOES TO THIS ONE!**

** BIGGEST BASTARD OF THE DRAGON PRINCE GOES TO VIREN!**

** AND MOST POTENTIAL FOR REDEMPTION GOES TO CLAUDIA!**

** Next time: arrivals and a fight begins.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	7. Reunited, Part 1

**…**

** You're all going to hate this chapter.**

** There is no big Viren beatdown. There is no super-big epic showdown.**

** This is about reuniting families. Any families. And it's part one of two. Next time will be a bit bigger.**

** Here we go… *barricades self behind pillow fortress***

* * *

For a moment, all Ethari could do was stare in horror.

His granddaughter, snatched up by the very monster who'd once held his husband and now held his daughter and son-in-law. A monster who'd almost driven the world to the brink of all-out war simply to satiate his own greed. A monster Rayla had very nearly given her life to destroy. For so long, Viren had been nothing but horror stories told at night after Sarai had gone to sleep or whispers in the dark of evil growing. Now it was all too real and he'd lost his granddaughter.

"We were careless," whispered Lujanne, backing away in panic. "We need to tell the others before they reach the fortress."

"I'll prepare for the fight." She nodded in agreement.

Within minutes, they were saddling up Phoe-Phoe and riding as fast as they could towards the others. It was a fight against time as they had no idea where they were or how close to the fortress. But they did manage to find the group that was traveling and began their descent. Ezran immediately looked up and looked terrified at the sound of Phoe-Phoe's cry. Hope was not on the face of anyone else as they landed.

"What happened?!" Soren asked.

"Viren. He… he took her."

There was no need to say who the dark mage had taken. Amaya punched a tree in her frustration once Gren relayed the message. The only good news is that Viren more than likely had taken Sarai to their destination. And that meant that they'd find her there.

Hopefully, she'd be unharmed…

* * *

"This is not a discussion."

"Dad, she's just a _kid_."

"But _it_ will grow up, Claudia. And it will cause problems."

"How? She can't fight. She can't do magic."

"It _can_ do magic. Every half-breed is able to do magic and it's magic that can't be found otherwise. Healing even the most severe injury without taking any lives, seeing into the future, turning back the clock—all of those are abilities that the half-breed could have and I want to be able to harness that kind of power!"

She narrowed her eyes.

"You want to kill a little girl because she _might_ have amazing magical powers. And you want to put her loving parents through the pain of losing their child. What… what happened to you, Dad?"

"I saw things as they truly were. Humans are meant to rule entirely. Elves are meant to be subservient. Half-breeds shouldn't exist. I am merely trying to restore the balance to the way it is meant to be."

Claudia took a deep breath.

"Then I'm sorry."

"For what?" He faced her, his eyes darkened from years of using the darkest of spells.

"I can't… I can't let you kill a child."

"I wasn't _asking _for permission."

"Then let me put it another way—I _refuse_ to stand by and let you kill a child, not when I can do something."

Before she could move, Viren snapped his fingers and she was tackled to the floor by some of the elven guards. She struggled against them but it was in vain as one trapped her in shackles. Then she was brought to her feet to look her father in the eye as he narrowed them at her.

"Claudia, you are a fool. You're blind to what needs to be done for the good of the world." He nodded to the guards. "Take her away."

She was dragged from her father's chambers and down to the dungeons, where she was thrown into the cell Callum had once occupied. For the first time in years, she looked around and felt so small and insignificant. She had no way of escape. This was it; this was her punishment for going with her father instead of her brother. This was her penance for trying to rip Callum and Rayla's family apart. She deserved this. But then her mind turned to Sarai. What would happen to her?

_The others are on their way. I'll take the consequences of Callum, Rayla, and Sarai escaping if they are allowed to leave unharmed._

* * *

"This is it," Soren sighed, looking at the fortress.

"Callum and Rayla are in there," Ezran added, his voice full of determination. "And Sarai, too. We're going to get them out."

There were elves patrolling the top of the walls, all looking ready for a fight.

_They're going to get one. Nobody messes with this family._

Amaya began signing the plan and Gren translated aloud.

"Runaan, since you know where Rayla and Callum are being held, you are in charge of rescuing them while the rest of us provide support. Soren will search for Sarai with Ezran. Everyone, be on guard. We have no idea what kind of battle this will be."

Nods were shared and Runaan headed out, scaling the wall effortlessly. He snuck past the elven guards and into the fortress itself. Its halls were seemingly endless and winding. Outside he could hear the fight between his companions and the soldiers of the fortress beginning. He hid behind a piece of furniture as several more guards rushed by to head out to help.

Finding the dungeon was of little difficulty, thanks to his previous trip, but finding Rayla and Callum was the hard part. Thankfully, he found them in a cell together where he used a lockpick Ethari had made to unlock it and his daughter's shackles. Rayla rushed out and gave him a hug before he handed her the twin blades that were her weapons of choice.

"We need to meet with the others. Soren and Ezran are going to find Sarai but there's a battle going on."

"You and Callum go ahead," Rayla stated. "I need to find Claudia."

"_Her_?!"

"She's on our side. I need ta find her and let her know we're gettin' out of here so she can come with us."

"If you believe that's best." Runaan finished with Callum's cuffs and the mage nodded.

"We knew Sarai was here because Claudia brought her to see us. And Claudia knows this place better than anyone else. If we're going to win this fight, we'll need her."

* * *

Viren let out a growl as he swept several heavy books off his workbench.

Sarai cowered nearby. He glared at her.

"This is _your_ fault, you know. They're all here and they're all going to die because of _you_. If you'd never been born, this never would have happened."

"No!" she yelled. "You're evil and that's why this is happening!"

"And _you_ are an abomination."

"I am _not_! Mama and Papa love me and my family cares about me! There's nothing more natural than that!"

He raised an eyebrow; clearly, somebody had been feeding her lies.

"But your mother is an elf. Your father is a human. You'll never belong anywhere."

She stuck out her tongue and he scoffed.

"Your parents never taught you manners, it seems. Like respecting your elders!"

He aimed a spell at her and it wound around her like a snake. She cowered, but for some reason it didn't actually touch her. Viren knit his eyebrows together in confusion and tried a different spell. It didn't work, either. Dark magic was ineffective on her.

"What _are you_?"

Sarai glared at him in defiance.

* * *

Rayla and Claudia ran into Soren and Ezran soon after the elf rescued the dark mage from the dungeon. Soren's immediate reaction was to draw a sword on Claudia; after all, she'd been the reason Callum and Rayla had been imprisoned.

"Soren, wait!" Rayla protested, stepping between the brother and sister. "Claudia is on our side. She's takin' us to Sarai."

"Viren is holding her in his work-chamber," Claudia explained. The group began to run after her. "He says that she has some kind of amazing magical power because she's a halfling! That's why he wants to use her magic!"

"Then let's get him!" Soren agreed.

They made their way up the staircase to Viren's chamber and Rayla stumbled back at the sheer wave of dark magic that waited within the room. Ezran was the first to look inside, where he saw Sarai surrounded by dark magic spells. Her eyes were narrowed at Viren in sheer contempt that could only possibly be matched by her mother. Finally, the dark mage let out a growl of frustration and essentially turned off the magic, raising his hand to strike the little girl.

Rayla was the first to move.

Before any of them could take a step, she'd kicked Viren in the back and sent him sprawling into the wall. Soren rushed forwards and restrained his father while Claudia undid Sarai's bonds. Rayla immediately turned away from Viren in favor of hugging her precious daughter, tears in her eyes as Sarai broke down in tears and clung to her mother. Ezran remained vigilant, however, and noticed that Viren had his hand clutched around some sort of magical component. His lips were moving in what Ezran knew had to be a dark spell.

"WATCH OUT!" he yelled, his warning coming just in time for Rayla to roll out of the way as dark fire blanketed the spot she and her daughter had been in just moments before. Sarai was still clutching Rayla, too afraid to cry now as Soren stood between the two parties. He'd been thrown off by Viren's magic.

"So Claudia, you've really chosen _their_ side, have you?"

"I've chosen the side that won't kill an innocent little girl."

Viren chuckled.

"So be it, then."

He vanished in a cloud of dark magic and Rayla glared around. There was no way he'd just _left_, right? She had to beat the shit out of him for what he'd put Sarai through. Angrily, she whirled towards the door, followed by Claudia, Soren, and Ezran. Her brother-in-law was carrying his niece, who had apparently chosen to be carried by him instead for the time being. That was fine. Ezran had kept her safe for a while and he could do it a little longer.

Finding Viren was their priority.

* * *

He came out of nowhere. One minute, Callum was keeping elves off of him and the next he'd been knocked to the ground by Viren. The Sky mage only _just_ managed to dive out of the way of Viren's staff coming down on his face and get back to his feet.

"You and your whore have been pains in my side for far too long!" Viren snapped.

"She's my _wife_!" Callum threw a _Fulminous _spell at Viren, who deflected it with ease and a sneer that made Callum even more enraged.

From there, it became Callum's Sky magic against Viren's dark. Nobody else was able to help, the elves who served Viren for _some unknown reason_ protecting their master from anyone who might interfere.

That was when Callum saw the most beautiful sight in the world—his wife, sliding down the sloped rooftop with her blades out, ready to kick some ass. It had been so many years since he'd actually seen her fight but he knew that she was _far_ from rusty as she swung her sword at Viren. He let out a furious growl. However, there was no way for him to win this fight. Not when Callum and Rayla were working together.

And he vanished into thin air.

"You COWARD!" Rayla screamed. Callum grabbed her arm to keep her from falling off the roof.

"Rayla, we'll get him. I promise."

"He tried ta—"

"I know!"

The elves who were on Viren's side seemed to get some kind of signal that the battle was over, as they cleared out and retreated fairly quickly after Viren disappeared. Callum and Rayla got down from the roof and then he saw another beautiful sight—his daughter running towards him at top speed with arms held out for a hug.

"PAPA!" she squealed.

"Moonbug!" He swept her up into his arms and she giggled happily. "I'm so happy you're okay…"

"Callum!" He saw Ezran, too, for the first time in eight years and he thought he was going to cry as he hugged his little brother again. Sarai half-heartedly protested at being squished between them but nobody really cared.

Soren, on the other hand, noticed Claudia walking away.

"Claudia!" he called. She turned around and gave him a sad smile.

"I'm not welcome here," she told him. "I'm just going to go figure things out."

"Hey, no. You helped us all out here. You deserve to be part of this family."

"What?"

"You should know, I'm Sarai's _Uncle_ Soren. And I'm _pretty good_ at it, too, even if I'm not her uncle by blood."

Claudia seemed to catch onto what he was saying and laughed a little.

"I can stay for a little bit, I guess…?"

"That's the spirit."

Amaya crushed both her nephews and her niece-in-law in one of her bear hugs as Gren sobbed tears of joy that everyone was safe. Ethari and Rayla's embrace was significantly more subdued but nonetheless filled with so many unsaid things that neither wanted to vocalize. Runaan joined that hug and then Callum said the words that everyone had been wanting to hear.

"Let's go home."

* * *

Sarai smiled as she and her family walked back into their house _together_ for the first time in two months. Ethari had warned her that Callum and Rayla needed rest after what they'd been through, and that meant that their core group—not the group of soldiers from Lux Aurea, who were heading back home with their queen and her wife and Gren—would be staying at the house for a little while longer. Rayla had whispered something to Lujanne that nobody else had seemed to catch and Lujanne had seemed very excited by whatever it was.

"Bedtime for little girls," Callum told her.

"But _Papa_!"

"No buts." He smiled at her. "I get to tuck you in tonight."

"Okay…" She stared at the floor for a minute. "Can I go by myself first?"

"Sure. I'll be up there in a few minutes."

Sarai hopped up the stairs, the voices of the excited and relieved adults even reaching her bedroom as she went inside and sat down on her bed. There, she reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out what she'd picked up off the floor of Viren's workshop.

Two coins—both bronze—and within them were two elves who looked an awful lot like her mama. One was female and the other was male. They were trapped in the coins like Runaan had been before her papa freed him. Did that mean her papa could save these two elves, too?

"Sarai?"

He poked his head in.

"Whatcha got there?"

"I found these on the floor in Viren's tower. I think they need help." She held out the coins and Callum took them from her. His breathing became unsteady. "Papa, what's wrong?"

"Sarai, we have been looking for these two for a very long time."

"Who are they?"

"They're… they're your mama's mama and papa."

Sarai let out a gasp of shock. Callum poked his head out the door and called for his wife to come upstairs. She was there within moments.

"What is it?"

"Sarai found these." He held out the coins.

"Mum… and Dad?!" There were tears in Rayla's eyes and Sarai immediately hugged her mother.

"I'm sorry, Mama."

"No. No, ya shouldn't be sorry. We're going ta free them too."

* * *

**AND I LIED**

** SHORTEST CHAPTER IN THIS FIC AWARD GOES TO THIS ONE.**

** On another note, my ask-box on Tumblr is open, so if you want to possibly request a one-shot or just ask me a question about my thoughts on The Dragon Prince in general, feel free.**

** I'm sorry I couldn't give you all an epic 'throw hands on Viren because bitch needs to be smacked' showdown but there's a reason. I really suck at writing action scenes and I didn't want to drag this out too long.**

** Next time: Tiadrin and Lain are freed.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	8. Reunited, Part 2

**Chapter eight: best described as 90% cute moments, 10% serious.**

** Also, yes, this chapter came out a couple days after the last one. The reasoning is simple. I have not had time to write. If you want to blame someone for that, blame my boss who has scheduled me to work every day until Christmas and then the day after Christmas. What makes it worse is that this story is almost done. We have this one and then maybe two more before we're through.**

** Here we go!**

* * *

After Rayla went upstairs, neither she nor Callum came back down. Everyone assumed they were exhausted from their ordeal and took up their spots to sleep like they had that first night in the house. Ezran was the first to awake the next morning. He stood up and noticed that Sarai hadn't come and jumped on him like she had when they were traveling to Xadia. Out of concern, he decided to check on her and make sure Viren hadn't taken her again in the night. Quietly as he could, he crept upstairs to Sarai's door and opened it.

She was still asleep on her bed, but he couldn't help but chuckle a little. Callum and Rayla were on either side of their daughter, their arms wrapped around each other and keeping her secure between them. No _way_ Viren would be able to sneak in without being noticed again, not when they were with her like that. Ezran wished he was as good an artist as Callum so he could capture the moment, but as it stood he wasn't. He'd hold onto the memory, though; maybe he'd describe it later for someone. Quietly, he closed the door to let the little family get their rest.

"They awake yet?" Soren asked when Ezran came downstairs. He'd apparently woken up while Ezran was checking on the three former prisoners.

"Not yet, but they're together. I don't think they wanted to be apart from Sarai again."

Upstairs, Callum was the first to stir. He felt warm, and safe, and really and truly happy for the first time in two months. As he opened his eyes, his heart swelled even more to see his two favorite people in the world—his wife and his daughter—curled up asleep beside him. They were both with him, safe and sound and free. Sarai mumbled to herself and cuddled closer to him. She'd always preferred his body heat to her mother's, but that was mostly because he had more of it. Rayla was the exact same way… especially with her cold-as-ice feet.

As if she'd sensed him thinking about her, Rayla's eyes fluttered open.

_"Morning,"_ he whispered.

_"Mornin',"_ she echoed in reply with a smile.

Sarai shifted between them and Rayla glanced down at their daughter with a smile.

"We're really together again."

"Yeah, we are."

They leaned forward and shared a kiss. Once again, Sarai moved but this time she was sitting up. Her eyes were still bleary from sleep as she looked from her mother to her father, then a smile spread across her face.

"This is a nice dream…" she mumbled.

"It's not a dream, Moonbug. We're back together again, as a family."

Sarai's eyes widened and she tackled Callum in a hug, as if to make sure he was really real. He laughed, ruffling her hair.

"It's real." Rayla glanced at the door, then slid off the bed to peek through the keyhole.

"All right, Sarai. Before we do anythin' else, your father and I have somethin' ta tell ya."

"What is it?!" Her eyes were wide with excitement.

"Ya can't tell anyone. Especially not your uncle Soren—he can't keep a secret!"

"I promise. What is it?"

"Well, while we were imprisoned in Viren's fortress, Claudia found out something about your mama," Callum explained. "And you're going to have a little brother or sister."

Sarai nearly fell off the bed as she threw her arms up happily. Rayla caught her daughter just in time, laughing along with Callum.

"Which one?!"

"We don't know yet, but we wanted you to be the first to know. Other than Claudia."

"Do I have to call her Aunt Claudia now?"

"Not if you don't want to. I understand if you don't."

"Are we going to free Mama's parents now?"

"Soon. We have to let everyone else know that they're here."

Sarai nodded and slid off the bed to get ready for the day.

* * *

Freeing Tiadrin and Lain (Rayla's mother and father) was as simple as freeing Runaan had been. Soren, Ethari, and Runaan had cleared space in the living room for the spell to be performed. With the exception of the young couple who were performing the spell, everyone went outside to wait and give them space. Callum drew the runes in the air. Rayla stood at the forefront, ready to greet her parents when they were freed. The coins shimmered as light flashed and then there was gasping for breath and there, right in front of Rayla, were her parents. Callum was panting heavily, too. The spell was a complicated one that took a lot of magical energy to do once, let alone twice.

"W-where…?" Tiadrin whispered hoarsely, looking around,

"Mum, you're okay," Rayla assured her, the younger woman's voice breaking slightly.

"M-Mum…?" Tiadrin blinked, her eyes seemingly clearing and focusing. "It can't… _Rayla_?!"

"Rayla?" Lain echoed, his voice just as scratchy. Callum handed Rayla the cups of water they needed, which both elves drank gratefully.

"Where are we…?" Tiadrin asked.

"You're in my home," Rayla replied. Almost immediately her parents wrapped her in loving hugs. It was such a beautiful scene and Callum walked around as they broke apart. Lain noticed him first and furiously looked for his weapon.

"Wait," Callum said, putting up his hands. "It's fine. You're okay."

"Callum is the one who freed you," Rayla added, helping them to their feet. "The war's over now."

"At least, the one between just elves and humans."

"Callum, not helping."

Questions were asked (how long were we trapped? What happened to the Dragon Prince? Where is the mage?) and answered (fourteen years, give or take. He's alive and with his mother. We have no idea but he won't bother us for a while.) Then Tiadrin noticed the cuffs on Rayla's horns and the ring on Callum's finger, both made from the same silver and clearly a matching set.

"Y-you're married?" she asked, her voice shaking. Rayla nodded.

"Goin' on nine years now."

"Oh my…" She shakily sat down on the couch, Lain sitting beside her.

"I just can't believe it," he said, shaking his head. "Fourteen years of our lives, gone… and our little girl's grown up without us…"

"I know it's a lot ta take in," Rayla sighed. "Runaan couldn't believe it, either."

"What happened to…?"

"He was trapped. A few months after you two were. We found his coin before yours, years ago. And we only had yours because of—"

"Is it done?" a little voice asked from the door.

Tiadrin thought her heart was going to explode at the sight of the little girl who was entering. She could only have been six at the most, with long dark brown hair and horns peeking out from the strands. Bright green eyes accompanied by pale blue marks that were akin to Rayla's. Five fingers on the hand she could see.

_Rayla's daughter?!_

"Yes, Moonbug, it's done," Callum said, picking up the little girl. To the shock of the couple, four more humans entered the house and two other elves. The two elves, however, were _very_ familiar. Tiadrin covered her mouth.

"Runaan? Ethari?"

They wordlessly brought her and Lain into an embrace before the two were introduced to Ezran (king of Katolis and Callum's younger brother, apparently), Corvus (Ezran's personal guard), Soren (a guard who seemed like he wasn't the sharpest blade in the pack), and Claudia (a mage who had decided to join them recently). The little girl was indeed their granddaughter, it turned out, and her name was Sarai. That name sounded so familiar to them for some reason.

"It was my mother's name," Callum explained quietly. "Queen Sarai of Katolis."

That was the most shocking part of this—that their daughter, their beautiful and deadly assassin daughter, had somehow managed to marry into the royal family of Katolis. There was more to the story, Tiadrin knew, but she chose not to press for now. There would be plenty of time for that later. For now, Ethari and Callum chose to start making dinner in celebration for their return. Sarai animatedly spoke to her new grandparents, most of her words being difficult to make out due to how quickly she was talking.

"Is she often like this?" Lain asked his daughter.

"She inherited her father's mouth," Rayla replied with a snort.

"Hey!" Callum called from the kitchen jokingly.

"I remember when you were just a little younger," mused Tiadrin. Sarai had gone to talk to Soren and Runaan. "We were about to leave to do our duty to the Dragon King and you were so young that you didn't understand why we were leavin'. You tried everything you could think of ta get us ta stay and you cried while we were on our way out. I almost cried, too."

"Bein' apart from your child… it rips a hole in your heart like nothing else. I just endured two months without Sarai and I don't think I'll be able to again, not for a long time."

Tiadrin had heard that much. Her daughter had just spent two months imprisoned, not knowing if her own child was hurt or worse. At the very least she and Lain knew Rayla was in the care of Runaan and Ethari when they left. Callum and Rayla had no such luxuries while they were in Viren's fortress. And while that wasn't the worst of it (neither would speak of their treatment prior to Claudia stepping in and improving the situation, which implied that it wasn't something they wanted to remember), Tiadrin knew the pain of being apart from your child.

It wasn't something she intended to feel again.

* * *

After dinner, they all went out into the forest where Sarai chased fireflies (under Corvus' watch, of course) and talked about life in general—more specifically, their lives since they'd all been apart. Eventually, Sarai came over and climbed into her father's lap, falling asleep pretty quickly afterwards from all the excitement of the day. Callum excused himself to put her to bed.

"She's a real daddy's girl, huh?" Soren joked.

"Yeah, she is," Rayla laughed. "He's the more nurturin' one, I guess you could say. I'm more about teachin' lessons. Unless it's in the water; that's all him."

"I'll never forget tryin' to get ya in the bath when you were a wee one," Tiadrin mused. "You'd fight us tooth and nail to avoid it. Ya always hated water."

"She probably hated it even more after the whole lake-monster thing," Ezran spoke up. "Callum nearly fried her with a lightning spell trying to save her and Bait."

"He didn't fry me," Rayla defended. "He saved me. First time he saved my life."

"Not as dramatic as the second, though. I don't think anything could be."

"What's he talking about?" Claudia asked, tilting her head.

"Oh, right. You wouldn't know. Well, when we were defending the Storm Spire against Viren's army, back when Zym was a baby, Rayla tackled Viren off the Pinnacle to stop him from hurting Zym. Callum saw her go over the edge and jumped after her."

Claudia stiffened.

"He barely managed to get to her in time with a wing spell he learned from Ibis the day before, but all I know is what it was like when I got up there."

_"Callum! Rayla!"_

_ Ezran landed at the Pinnacle just in time to see his brother coming in for a landing. Callum had massive brown wings instead of arms, and Rayla was hanging onto him around the neck as they fell forwards. Not a smooth landing but a landing nonetheless. Rayla seemed to be checking them both over for injuries before Ezran ran over to them. Zym was butting his head against Rayla's arm and she pulled him into a hug. That was when Ezran noticed the tears in the elf's eyes, as well as in Callum's._

_ "What happened?"_

_ "Viren's gone," Callum replied, his voice breaking a little. His wings turned back into arms and his arms were wrapped around Rayla very tightly. "Thanks to Rayla."_

_ "He's on the ground by now," she whispered, her hand on Callum's wrist. "No way he's survived."_

_ That was when Ezran realized what had happened—how close he'd come to losing Rayla, a girl he now thought of as an older sister and who would be his older sister eventually. But how had Callum…?_

_ "We'll tell you about it one day," Callum promised. "For now, I want to get down from here and make sure Rayla's on solid ground. No more cliffs for you."_

_ She didn't even protest, simply nodding as they headed down the stairs._

"Oh, that's not even the half of it," Callum commented, coming out of the house. "The only times I've ever really and truly been scared are times where I've almost lost her."

"Okay, now I'm shocked that Sarai doesn't have a younger brother or sister yet," laughed Lain. Callum and Rayla both stiffened and Claudia and Lujanne hid matching grins behind their hands.

"Actually…" Rayla mumbled, staring at her lap.

Immediate cries of 'no way!' and 'congratulations' went up.

"Does Sarai know yet?" Soren asked.

"We told her this morning," Callum replied. "We also told her to keep a secret, which she did."

"This is wonderful!" Tiadrin declared, clapping her hands. "Congratulations, both of you!"

Finally, Callum and Ezran went over to the pond to have a 'brotherly chat', as Ezran called it. All four of Rayla's parents were fussing over her and Soren was trying to reconnect with Claudia. Corvus had gone to keep watch for danger. Lujanne had departed for the Moon Nexus on Phoe-Phoe. So now, for the first time in eight years, Callum and Ezran were able to have a 'Big Feelings Time'.

"You're going to be a dad again."

"I know. It's… still scary. And who knows what this kid'll be like?"

"A great one, like Sarai. How can they not be with parents like you and Rayla?"

"You never know. Soren's great and look at _his_ dad."

"Point taken." Ezran took a deep breath. "Are you going to stay here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, stay in Xadia. I know that you and Rayla have a home and a life here, but I miss you both. If I have to say goodbye to Sarai, I don't think I can stand not seeing her grow up with you and Rayla and the new baby. So… would you and Rayla please come back to Katolis?"

"Ez… it's not that simple…"

"Humans are more accepting nowadays. And there are a few people looking to become mages with arcanum instead of dark magic. Somebody needs to teach them, somebody who knows how to do it."

"But I'm not the problem. They aren't going to accept Sarai when they never accepted Rayla."

"They _will_. Because Sarai is their future queen."

Callum blinked.

"Ez, what are you…?"

"I think we both know that I'm never going to find someone like you did. Romance and dating and marriage… it's not for me. That means I'm never going to have an heir unless I declare one, and I'm going to declare Sarai. She's going to be queen of Katolis one day and she'll do a great job uniting elves and humans, even better than we did, because she's half one, half the other. That is, if you decide to come back." Callum groaned.

"Wow. Just… you really know how to persuade people, don't you?"

"It's one of the reasons I'm a great king."

"That and the fact that you helped end a massive war when you were ten. That probably helped."

"So you'll do it?"

"It's not just my decision. I'll have to talk to Rayla and Sarai first, but I think they'll agree to it." Ezran wiped one of his eyes. "Are you… crying?"

"I'm just happy to have my brother back." Ezran gave Callum a hug.

"Me, too."

* * *

**D'AWWWW!**

** Okay, so just out of curiosity: what arcanum do you all think Claudia would connect with? And also, I need baby name suggestions. I got nothin'.**

** Also also, Soren adopts elf child or Soren adopts human child? Or does he adopt one of each? Or does he take in a whole bunch and basically start a foster home?**

** WHO KNOWS**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	9. Requiem

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_ I know this letter won't reach either of you. It can't. But this is a letter that I felt like I needed to write. I haven't talked to you in a long time and I wanted to tell you some things that I thought you might want to know if you get a chance to see it wherever you are._

_ First, Ez has been doing a fantastic job as the king of Katolis. It's been twenty years since he took the throne and it looks like he'll be there for a while yet. He managed to finish what you started, Mom—getting rid of dark magic. You can't practice it legally anywhere in the human kingdoms or Xadia. There's no need to. Humans can connect with the Primal sources to do magic; it just takes a lot of extra work. I've been helping with that since I'm the High Mage and the first human to truly connect with an arcanum._

_ Speaking of High Mages, Viren is gone. I don't know where he is and frankly, the only reason I want to know is so we can get rid of him. He's done so many terrible things, Dad, and even though he was your friend I can't understand __**why**__. I haven't seen him in five years but I can feel his presence hanging over everything like a dark shadow. I wish I could figure out why._

_ In happier news, you'll both be glad to know I got married about thirteen years ago. You might be a little less glad to know that my wife is an elf—a Moonshadow elf who tried to kill me when we first met. But I love her very much, and she's strong and brave and smart and beautiful and I can't find enough words to say how much I love her and our children, all three of them._

_ Sarai is our oldest. Rayla jokes that she looks like a female version of me with horns, but I don't see it. Honestly, she takes more after her mom than me, especially with how strong she is at the age of eleven. She kind of has to be, since Ezran has named her the heir to the throne of Katolis. The first halfling born in over a thousand years and she's going to be the queen. I hope I'm around to see it when it happens because I know she's going to do great things._

_ As for our other two, they're a pair by the name of Saoirse and Harrow. Twins, turning five soon, and they're the ones who really take after Rayla, too—silver hair and violet eyes but no horns. Harrow is our shy one. He follows Rayla and his twin sister around like a baby duckling, though, and he'll go along with whatever his sisters suggest. I think he's going to be a mage like me one day. Saoirse has made it clear she wants to live with Aunt Amaya in Lux Aurea._

_ Oh, yeah. Aunt Amaya got married a little while before I did. To an elf. She married the Sunfire elf queen, who isn't the friendliest person until you get to know her. They rule Lux Aurea together. I love when we go to visit since Aunt Janai always pulls out all the stops to make sure our visit is the best possible, even if we're only passing through on our way to the Storm Spire. I think you both would've liked her. I know Soren does and he's always trying to beat her in duels when he goes with us… not that he does much of that these days. He's got a family to take care of since he doesn't know the meaning of the word 'restraint' when it comes to things he cares about._

_ Basically, he and Claudia have opened a foster home for humans and elves._

_ There's so much more I want to tell you both, but I either can't find the words or it's not the sort of thing you say over a letter. I'm sure you can see us from where you are, and I hope I can see you again someday so I can tell you everything else._

_ I love you both._

_ Love,_

_ Callum._

* * *

He folded the page and stuck it in his bag just in time.

"Callum, it's time ta go. And I could use a hand with the twins."

The High Mage of Katolis turned around to see Rayla standing with her arms straight out, Saoirse clinging to one arm and Harrow to the other. He couldn't help but laugh, picking up their son and allowing Rayla to finally situate Saoirse in her arms. Sarai poked her head in.

"Are we going?"

"Of course," Callum replied, following their eldest into the hallway.

It was a happy and sad day today. Happy because this was the twentieth anniversary of the day he met Rayla, sad because it mean it had been twenty years since his stepfather had died. In memory of that, their family was heading out to where the king had been laid to rest alongside his queen. The twins knew little about their grandparents on their father's side, but they knew today was important. Sarai knew it was important. And that was why she'd suggested that Callum write the letter to his mother and stepfather—to give him a sense of peace since he couldn't actually speak to them.

Ezran met them in the hallway before they left the castle, the road to the graveyard seeming ever long and sorrowful as they went. Nobody said a word as they approached the statue that immortalized the late Queen Sarai. Her namesake stared up at her grandmother's statue, feeling awed at the resemblance between the statue and herself. Everyone said she looked just like her grandmother; now she believed it. She'd never come out here before because she felt it hadn't been right to visit the graves of people she'd never met without people who had. Her throat tightened.

_Would she and Grandpa Harrow be proud of me?_

"Grandma Sarai was really pretty," Saoirse told her mother, breaking the silence. "Was she nice, too?"

"She passed before I met your father," Rayla explained, her voice low. "But from what I've heard, she was kind and brave and strong."

"Like Auntie Amaya?"

"They were sisters, ya know."

"Wow…"

There was more silence as Callum set his letter down at the base of his mother's statue. Without saying a word, he lit the corner of it on fire and it burned up in seconds. Wind carried the ashes upwards to the sky and the family watched until they couldn't see anymore.

"Hey, Dad?" Sarai said as they started the walk back. Saoirse had caught a piggyback ride with Ezran while Harrow was napping in his mother's arms.

"Yeah, Moonbug?"

"…do you think… do you think Grandma and Grandpa Harrow would've loved me?"

"Of course they would've."

"But I'm half elf. And Grandpa hated—"

"No, he didn't. He hated the war. He hated the Dragon King for killing your grandmother. But he didn't hate elves. He didn't hate Xadia. And your grandmother would've loved you because you're _you_."

"Thanks." She smiled. "By the way, Uncle Soren said he could take me and the twins tonight."

"I don't think he'll notice three more kids."

"Aunt Claudia will."

"Yes, she will." They both chuckled and hurried to keep up with the others.

* * *

_It's a whole new world._

That was what Claudia had been told by Callum when she decided to return to Katolis with him and his family. It was shortly before he'd helped her connect with the Earth arcanum and leave dark magic behind for good. Forging a connection to a Primal source had solidified it in her mind that yes, this was a new world, and yes, she could do more than just take life away from others. Part of her longed to know what her father was doing now, but most of her didn't care. She was an Earth mage now, a trusted member of King Ezran's council, aunt to three adorable halfling children, and aunt/mommy to half a dozen more children.

Nothing was more precious to her than family. Hers had been torn apart at least three times, and though her bonds with her parents were severed irreparably, she and Soren had mended theirs. She had six children who called her 'Mom' or 'Mommy'. Her family was bigger than ever and it made her realize how _stupid_ she'd been to revive her father all those years ago at the Storm Spire. If he hadn't lived, he wouldn't have caused as much pain and suffering as he had. It was her fault he was alive, but in a strange, twisted way, it was because of her that any of them were able to have this kind of happiness and joy in their lives.

"Mommy!"

Kore, the youngest of the six children she and Soren had taken in, climbed into her lap as she read a book of spells in the kitchen. The three-year-old Skywing elf had lost her parents because of an incident with Viren's forces that left her an orphaned baby and the first that Soren had taken in. He'd found her in the aftermath, and when the other Skywing elves tried to take her from him, she'd screamed and cried and clung to him like an adoraburr. In a way, she'd adopted him first.

"What is it, Kore?"

"Daddy says Princess Sarai is coming to visit!" She clapped her hands.

"She is?" Claudia closed her book and carried Kore on her hip. "Well, then, we have to be ready, don't we?"

"Yeah!" Kore wiggled to be put down and her aunt/mother obliged. She toddled off to join her brothers and sisters—a mix of humans and elves alike. Claudia noticed Soren in the doorway.

"When were you telling me that they were coming over, brother dear?"

"When they got here. Figured I'd let it be a surprise." He shrugged. "Look, I thought about it and I figured that Callum and Rayla deserve a little time off from being a mom and dad—just spending time with each other."

"Well, I'm not going to be here, remember?"

"Oh, right—you have a date or something."

"Yes. And it's the first time I've really felt like I have a chance to make things go well with me and someone else since… since…"

"Your date with Callum at the Moon Nexus?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. I still feel horrible for using his crush on me against him."

"He's clearly moved on. If the three children and badass elf-wife didn't make that clear."

Claudia rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You're gonna be okay looking after nine kids?"

"Sarai's gonna be here. She's always a big help."

"Of course she is. I'd better get ready for them."

"You do that. And remember: I'm always here to punch somebody. Or whatever you need."

Claudia laughed and headed into her room.

* * *

Oftentimes, Sarai wondered what life would've been like without Viren.

He'd kidnapped her parents and imprisoned them underground. On his orders, an illusion of her had been tortured to death in front of her mother and one of her mother had been made to scream in enough pain to psychologically harm her father. Without a second thought he'd been willing to sacrifice a five-year-old girl if it meant gaining power. Undoubtedly he was evil, true evil she'd never seen before or since. And that was just what he'd done in the short amount of time he loomed over her life. She knew from Claudia and Soren's stories that he'd done worse, much worse.

But he'd also brought her family back together. If her parents hadn't been taken, she wouldn't have run to Katolis and met Ezran and Soren. She would've lived out her life without knowing Claudia, a woman who had easily become the fun aunt every family needed. Tiadrin and Lain would have never been freed. And Sarai wouldn't be the crown princess of Katolis now. She'd be a normal halfling child living out her life by the Storm Spire with her parents and Ethari and Runaan. In a strange sort of way, she could respect Viren for the threat he posed and who he was, but it didn't mean she approved.

No.

She was going to be Queen Sarai II. And she knew he would be gone before her reign truly began.

* * *

***goes to sleep for a few days after posting the last chapter***

** *wakes up to see a ton of comments from AO3 and Fanfiction alike***

** HOLY CRAP, PEOPLE**

** I wasn't expecting so much love! I think this is one of my more popular stories for any fandom. Not to mention the suggestion I put in as a joke—namely, Soren running a foster home—appears to be extremely popular. Except for that one person who apparently has something against Soren adopting children and not being married? Speaking of suggestions, I got so many for what to name the new baby and you've all seen my choice. I'm sorry, I know I promised ten chapters, but after I posted chapter eight, I tried to write the one I wanted and I couldn't. So we ended up going straight to epilogue town.**

** That being said, while **_**I**_** am done with this timeline (I have a few one-shots and other multi-chapters in mind), I am willing to open it up to all of you.**

** *coughs in 'I don't want to write Aaravos'***

** Thank you all so much for following me on my first foray into writing TDP. I hope you'll all stick around for anything I have coming next.**

** So long and thanks for all the fish!**


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